An Island
by P.Crespi
Summary: Although Noriko misses the statue of Kannon's exhibit in order to take her high school placements and consequently ends up not attending Lillian, the red string of fate which connects our beloved girls is stronger than their choices, bringing Yumi and Noriko together in university. This is a story of discovery, understanding and acceptance - nobody's an island, after all.
1. Displaced

A/N: Hello!

I'm hoping everyone is doing well :)

This is for sure a Noriko x Shimako story. It is also a Yumi x Sachiko story. Expect other pairings and a lot of Touko being a brat and Yoshino being... Yoshino.

I hope at least some of you enjoy this reading!

Cheers!

* * *

Yumi's phone buzzed inside her purse. She wondered who it was but kept talking as if the noise didn't bother her. Thought honestly, the call annoyed her very much so; Saturday mornings were one of the only times Yumi was able to see her petite soeur, and for someone to be calling right then, was basically asking for Touko's wrath to be unleashed upon them.

Since Yumi had decided not to attend Lillian University, the time Touko got to spend with her onee-sama was invaluable, Sachiko had been the one who had come up with the idea of the breakfast dates in order to give Touko something she could look forward to after her incredibly busy school week – it was also a great excuse to sleep in and then go pick Yumi up afterwards so the couple could spend the rest of the day together.

The phone's buzzing stopped for a second but then started again, shifting things inside the purse just enough that a can of mints had joined forces with the device, reverberating so loudly that ignoring that sound was virtually impossible.

"Please." Touko motioned toward at the bag.

"Are you sure?"

"It must be important, Yumi-onee-sama."

 _Onee-sama_ , those two words still made Yumi's heart swell up with love. Touko just wanted to be understood, and Yumi had wanted nothing but to understand the younger Red Rose. If someone had told Yumi that Touko would have become such an important part of her life when they first met, Yumi would have laughed and shaken off the thought of Matsudaira Touko being anywhere near her heart. What was interesting to say the least was that even though Touko was a piece of work, Yumi's approach to people and relationships were also quite unorthodox. Even so, the two girls –perhaps miraculously– had put their differences aside, forming a bond that had grown stronger with the years.

Yumi looked at the caller ID and squinted a bit, the unrecognizable number bounced around in her mind like it wanted so badly to belong there but it couldn't quite find the right place. Even though Yumi couldn't figure out whom the random phone number belonged to, she still answered it.

"F-Fukuzawa-san. This is Nijou Noriko. I'm in your World Literature class and I… I sit right behind you. I deeply apologizing for bothering you on a Saturday and for getting your phone number without asking you." The rehearsed speech was almost flawlessly executed.

"Nijou-san," Yumi smiled, "It's not a bother. Tell me what's up." Touko lifted her head up and opened her mouth but Yumi quickly shushed her with a headshake.

"I was wondering if I could take a look at your notes from yesterday's lecture. I might have… spaced out and ended up forgetting to write down the sources we need to use on that stup— _ahem_ … that essay we were supposed to write."

Noriko wasn't one to slack off but that Friday had marked four years she had missed the statue of Kannon's exhibit, and she still couldn't believe she would have to wait another 16 years before being able to see the Buddhist figure in person. Although Noriko truly enjoyed the class, the _what-ifs_ flooded the girl's mind that day completely throwing her off her game. If the essay wasn't due on Monday, she would have waited to ask the professor at school, but since it was due first-thing that day, she decided to take action. Even though the two girls had never talked, Noriko had found herself with no other choice but to look up Yumi's phone number in the school directory –the brunette was pretty much Noriko's only classmate who didn't look like she had a broom stuck up her ass.

Yumi couldn't remember Noriko's face, but also, for some reason, couldn't say no to the request.

###

"Just a few years ago you would have completely ignored that call." Touko pressed the crosswalk button. They were on their way to meet Noriko.

"Touko…"

"And now you're dragging me to God knows where to meet with someone whom you don't even talk to! You know you could just send her pictures of the pages, right?"

"Touko…"

"Yumi-sama!"

"…"

"Ugh!"

"Touko." Yumi stopped to look at her little sister. "Don't judge me by the things I've said or done in the past." The request from the oldest of the pair was sincere. Yumi knew that she had chosen a difficult path to follow while at Lillian.

High school had been a time in Yumi's life where the brunette had locked up her heart and hidden the key from anyone who dare come close to her. "I can't change what's behind me, but I think striving to be a better person is still acceptable at this point, right, Touko-chan?" Yumi had tried with all of her strength to keep people away, though the girl wasn't counting on coming across a handful of people who were more stubborn than she could have ever been. And in the end, the Yamayurikai girls, little by little, were able break the walls around Yumi's heart, exposing a girl who was sensitive, compassionate and first and foremost: a girl who was able to love unconditionally.

"Onee-sama…" Touko blushed.

"Yes."

"You haven't called me Touko-chan in a long time…"

"In my heart you'll always be Touko-chan." That sentence was enough to hush Touko, and the pair walked shoulder-to-shoulder, silently, until they reached the park where they would meet Noriko.

###

"Fukuzawa-san." Noriko bowed deeply before continuing, "You saved my life!"

Dark brown orbs full of gratefulness, were enough to ensure Yumi she had done the right thing by lending her notes to Noriko. And in the middle of that park, Yumi had finally taken the time to look at the younger girl, realizing how beautiful she really was. It was the blue dress that accentuated her curves, the way that her hair bounced when she walked, and the shy smile which hid a heart that longed to be occupied. Noriko stood out in the most subtle ways, not like a Sakura tree amongst gingkoes, but like the speckles hidden within a beautiful pair of eyes: one needed to be paying attention in order not to miss the lovely Nijou Noriko.

"It's no trouble, Noriko-san. You're lucky I had my book bag with me." Yumi said, handing Noriko the pad.

"Thank you!" She responded. Extending her free hand toward Touko, Noriko introduced herself, "I'm Nijou Noriko, it's nice to meet you…" she waited for Touko's answer.

"Matsudaira Touko." Was all the girl said.

"G-give me one minute, Fukuzawa-san." She turned to Yumi, "let me take pictures of the pages I'm missing. Then you ladies can resume your date."

"Where not dating."

"Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"Yumi-sama is my Onee-sama."

"I… I don't remember you saying you had a sister, Fukuzawa-san. I was under the impression you only had a brother."

Touko slapped on her mask, " It's a Lillian high school division tradition. Where upper-classm—"

"Where upper-classmen take younger students as their petite soeurs. I'm aware of the tradition, my aunt attended Lillian." Noriko then decided to annoy the oh-so-proper princess who was Matsudaira Touko, "You guys call your student council members: Roses, correct? Rosa Blablansis, Feeneeenee and Gargantuan, or something like that, right?"

Yumi chuckled at both Noriko's joke and Touko's crimson face as the feisty Red Rose corrected the new acquaintance, "Chinensis, Foetida and Gigantea."

"That's what I said." Noriko smiled while still taking pictures from Yumi's notebook – unmoved by Touko's irritation.

###

Monday came too quickly and Yumi was already done with classes when she walked down the path connecting her classroom and the University's exit. Had she moved faster, she would've been able to catch the next bus home, though she didn't try. Running wasn't something she should have been doing during such a day, especially when the warmth of the spring sun would do nothing but beat up on her lungs.

When she finally reached a bench, her legs thanked her for the break. Backpack on the grass, elbows on thighs, she clasped her hands together and sent Maria-sama a little prayer. With eyes closed, she took a deep breath, then another one. If she stood still things would be fine. _If I stay still things will be fi—_

 _"_ Catch!"

Yumi opened her eyes extra wide, scared of what was coming her way. When she finally figured out the position and trajectory of the object, she simply extended her arms and caught it. In all truthfulness, it had been a perfect lob by Noriko.

"Wait. How did you kn—"

"You better use it before I take it away from you."

 _Fweesh._

Yumi took the hit and her lungs immediately thanked her. Ah, the beauty of caffeine and various other drugs all neatly packed and delivered in a simple drag. As she watched Noriko sit by her, she took another deep breath.

"You try really hard to hide it, Fukuzawa-san. And you do a pretty good job at it."

"Excuse me?"

"I hope you don't think I've been stalking you. You are a very pretty woman, don't get me wrong, but I'm not a creeper." Noriko smile was sincere and Yumi was appreciative of the girl's honesty and flattered by the compliment.

"…"

"In any case and back to your question… When you depend on it. You can spot it from a kilometer away."

"Come to think of it, you're right."

Noriko was happy Yumi hadn't taken her the wrong way. The freshman's true intentions were to help the older girl. Noriko knew very well the feeling of needing an inhaler.

Turning to look at the younger girl, Yumi thanked Noriko for letting her use the medication.

Yumi was forced to leave Lillian as her major was only offered at a handful of Universities in Tokyo, she was bummed for a while for not being able to be around Sachiko, Sei and Touko, but had found solace in her anonymity. Case in point was the fact that she was sitting at that bench, quietly having a conversation which didn't involved the Yamayurikai or its members, with someone who couldn't care less about Lillian's outdated traditions – someone Yumi felt quite comfortable talking to; a great change from many of her other –broom up the ass– classmates.

For some reason Yumi didn't feel as if Noriko wanted anything but to talk to the older girl. There was no hidden agenda buried in Noriko's voice, nor were there questions which were asked with ulterior motives. Maybe that was the way Sei felt when she met Yumi: Noriko was just a kid, honest to a fault, trying to put one foot in front of the other without stumbling too much; Yumi knew that feeling too well, and had tripped on her own feet so many times before finding a groove, she felt this incredible urge to get to know Noriko better, and perhaps, by doing so, she thought she could help the girl along the way. Sei had done the same to Yumi, it was Yumi's time to pay it forward.

"Noriko-chan." Yumi stood up. "Do you have anywhere to be now?"

"Not really. I was just going home before I saw you here."

"Then, let me treat you to coffee?" Yumi said and started to walk toward the gates.

There was nobody on earth who could have said no to such an amazing smile.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading!


	2. Nobody's Nothing

A/N: TGIF!

We're going back in time with this chapter in hopes to explain Yumi's past. She might seem a bit ooc, but she has her reasons to be... grumpy.

Thank you for reading!

* * *

"Wait."

It was too early for such a stern command and Yumi froze in place – not because she was scared, but because it was really too early for someone to sound so bitter.

The simple word sounded like a screech from a monster; the request bouncing off of the statue of Maria-sama and crashing into Yumi's ears mercilessly. One might have wondered if Ogasawara Sachiko also cringed at the way her voice sounded that morning.

As the heiress ever so elegantly closed the distance between her and Yumi, Yumi pictured fire coming out of Sachiko's mouth, smoke from her nostrils. The monster hypothesis was finally proved when Sachiko spoke again, "I was the one who spoke, and the sentence was directed to you."

"Uh…"

"Hold this, please," Sachiko said, handing Yumi her book bag. Then arms reached for Yumi's sailor collar, and the brunette sucked in all the air which surrounded Maria-sama's statue, but she never flinched –once again, Yumi wasn't scared of Sachiko. The brunet felt strange, nonetheless. It was this bizarre disconnect; this weird feeling that came from even looking at the Ogasawara heiress.

Yumi knew she shouldn't judge a book by its cover; however, she couldn't help the contempt she felt toward Sachiko, which first started during the welcome ceremony just a few weeks prior to that encounter. It was hate at first sight: from the moment Sachiko stepped foot into the church, drawing sighs from every single girl in the audience, all the way through the flawless piano performance of Ave Maria, –eliciting even more 'ooohs and aaaahs' from her groupies – Yumi didn't need much more to conclude that Sachiko was a true tool.

Was Rosa Chinensis en bouton adored by all first-years? Yes.

Was she beautiful? Yes.

Was she someone Yumi wanted to be around? Fuck no.

All Yumi wanted was peace. She wanted to go through high school like she went through life: unnoticed. Anonymously, Yumi could watch the circus burn down. Anonymously, Yumi was able to be a simple spectator, quietly invited to watch the world spin but not allowed to participate in its whirl. And that's how she liked it: the sidelines, the bleachers, the wearing a jersey but knowing she was never going to be thrown into the game and save the day with a goal at the 90th minute.

###

The inhaler went off inside one of the stools. The medicated lungs thanked Yumi and allowed her to step out of the bathroom with minimal side-effects: she couldn't help the shaky hands. For what it was worth, asthma was a minor hiccup in Yumi's life. The diagnosis from three years prior, on the other hand, had put the Fukuzawas in quite a situation. The smell of hospitals still made Yumi cringe, "It could be five, it could be twenty five, it could be fifty five. Yumi can live a long life; regardless, the first five years are of absolute importance if we want her to reach adulthood." Though the doctor's were cautious about the recovery, they were also optimistic after surgery. Nevertheless, the truth of the matter was that the foreign muscles housed inside Yumi's chest could decide to stop pumping blood to her veins at any time. Call it premonition or whatever you want to call it, Yumi had a strange feeling about things, which made her thoughts about the future nothing but gloomy. _If we want her to reach adulthood,_ the words swirled in her head again.

Yumi had never asked to be fixed. The surgery, which kept the girl from school for a long time, happened –miraculously– out of nowhere, and ironically right after her parents had gone through the gargantuan task of preparing Yumi as well as Yuuki for the worst. Moreover, unfortunately, for Yumi to have survived, someone had to had passed, and that thought lingered in the girl's mind – it was a heavy burden: living because of death. If that alone wasn't enough to drive the girl insane, the fact that the doctors didn't know if she could survive past her high school years was haunting to say the least.

 _If we want her to reach adulthood._

"Yumi-san! Yumi-san!" Takeshima Tsutako called out, though Yumi tried to walk away.

"Yumi-sa~n! Please wait!"

"What is it, Tsutako-san?"

"I was wondering if you would want to have this!" Tsutako's eyes glimmered behind her glasses. She shook a picture she had taken that morning in front of Yumi's face.

"If you stop shaking it, I might be able to see what you have there."

Tsutako held the picture in front of Yumi with both hands, then, she allowed the brunette to take the photo into her own hands for further examination.

"You took a picture right before the monster was about to strangle me." Yumi faced Tsutako again, "That's probably why she didn't follow through with it. Thank you!" She gave the photo back to the self-proclaimed Photography Club Ace and started to walk away.

"Whooooa! Whooooa! Whooooa! Yumi-san! Hold up!"

"Tsutako-san…" Yumi squeezed her temples, "What is it?"

"I'd like to use this picture next time the photography club has an exhibition."

"You do whatever you want with the picture. You have my permission. Now can I please go back to class?!"

"But…"

"But?"

"I need permission from Sachiko-sama."

"Oh. Right! I'm afraid you need new glasses, Tsutako-san. I'm Fukuzawa Yumi."

"Yumi-san! Please, come with me to the Rose Mansion. I need you to say you're okay with me showing the picture when I ask Rosa Chinensis en Bouton."

"Hahahahaha!"

"Yumi-san!"

"Nope."

"Yumi-san!"

"It's like you're consciously walking into a lion's den. Are you insane?"

"I'll take care of cleaning duty for you for a month."

"No deal."

"Two months."

"Still no."

"Three months."

"The entire year…" Tsutako was going to say no for sure!

"Deal!"

 _Dammit!_

###

Tsutako lifted her arm to knock at the Rose Mansion's door, but before her knuckles reached it, a voice behind the girls interrupted the photographer.

"Hello."

"Shimako-san!"

Rosa Gigantea en-bouton, Todou Shimako squeezed between Yumi and Tsutako with a quiet "Excuse me," and opened the door leading into the foyer before addressing the two girls in front of her again, "Do you have an appointment?"

Yumi wondered how in the world did a first-year student could be as put together as the girl standing in front of her. Little did Yumi know that behind such a serene façade, Shimako was just another freshman: insecurities and all.

"We actually don't," Tsutako started, "but we would like to see Ogasawara Sachiko-sama, please." The photographer asked, trying to sound proper.

"Sachiko-sama?"

"Correct." Tsutako said, and quickly explained why she and Yumi were asking to talk to the heiress.

After Tsutako's explanation, up the creaking stairs they went. The sun coming through the stained windows flooded the bare walls with splashes of reds, yellows and blues – a beautiful, transient work of art, only there for the three girls. Yet, locked in their own worlds, they missed that wonderful picture.

Once they reached the top of the stairs, Tsutako and Yumi stopped at the sound of a loud bang followed by, "This is absurd! The Onee-samas are being mean!"

The scream coming from behind the biscuit door was nothing but appalling; nevertheless, Shimako, who had kept walking, turned around while holding on to the door handle, "What? That? Happens all the time."

Yumi chuckled. She couldn't place Shimako's tone of voice: it was either sarcasm or the words of someone who just accepted things as they came, though deep inside, the brunette really hoped Shimako was trying to be funny. The brunette opened her mouth and inhaled, though when she was about to speak, Shimako opened the door wide, not expecting Sachiko's arm to have been extended and reaching for the handle on the inside of the room.

By missing the handle, Sachiko was in a bit of a difficult situation to say the least. Even though she tried to keep herself standing, she took one too many steps and hit Tsutako's shoulder, which over-adjusted her stride and sent her on her way, forehead first, toward the stairs.

Yumi watched the entire thing unravel from the corner of the room. She could have cared less if Sachiko had fallen on her face in front of her. She would've laughed and hoped Tsutako had taken a picture of it for posterity. However, Sachiko was headed to the stairs and Yumi couldn't bear to see anything of such caliber happen to anyone. She had spent too much time in hospitals, knew how awful they were and didn't wish the same fate upon no one, not even the monster. Deep inside, hidden beneath all of the layers of hardened feelings, even though Yumi tried not to care, her heart pumped blood through a body that radiated good.

So the decision had been made and Yumi's plan needed to be properly executed.

She took a step toward Sachiko, grabbing the girl by the forearm and twisting her entire body away from the stairs. Yumi then wrapped her other arm around the heiress' waist, securing her tightly against her chest and when she knew Sachiko's route had been modified, the brunette twisted around. The entire thing was almost perfectly executed.

Almost.

A simple error occurred in Yumi's calculations: Sachiko was taller and consequently heavier than Yumi. As Yumi twisted her body, she lost her footing, which sent both her and heiress straight toward the wall.

 _Thud!_

And it was a monumental thud.

 _Click_.

Tsutako was good.

"Sachiko-sama!"

"Sachiko-sama!"

"Yu—"

"Ha! Sachiko killed the underclassman and the newspaper has tangible proof of it. Great!" Satou Sei was the last one out of the room. Nonchalantly she walked to the corner, examining Yumi's scrunched face as she felt a tickle in her lungs, but tried hard not to cough. When Sei extended her arm, Yumi accepted it at once.

"Can you take care of Sachan?" Sei asked Mizuno Youko. At the silent nod, she grabbed Yumi's bag and took the brunette downstairs.

"You alright, kiddo?"

"I think so." Yumi reached inside her bag and grabbed the inhaler.

 _Fweesh._

 _Ah shitty lungs, don't fail me now._

"Now," Sei looked Yumi in the eyes before continuing, "Do you always try to be a hero or were you showing off in front of Sachiko-chan?"

"E-excuse me?"

"You heard the question. Don't try to evade it."

"Rosa Gigantea…"

"Sei."

"Sei-sama…"

"That's better. Now explain yourself."

"She… was headed head-first toward the stairs. Nobody deservers such fate, not even the mons—"

"Se~i!" Yumi had been saved.

"What!" She blonde feigned annoyance.

"Please don't let Sachiko-chan leave." Youko asked.

At that, the creaking of the wooden floors had been completely muffled by Sachiko's heavy stomps. It was as if the heiress was purposefully abusing the house.

The heiress walked passed Sei and stood in front of Yumi, "Do you have an onee-sama?"

"Sachan." Sei interjected.

"Don't Sachan me, Sei-sama."

Turning to the first-year once more, Sachiko tried again, "Do you have an onee-sama?"

Yumi was brief, "No. I don't."

"Then, come with me." Sachiko turned around and started back up the stairs, until she realized Yumi hadn't moved.

"Who are you to demand I follow you like a dog?"

"I'm your senior, you do as I say if you don't want to get in trouble."

"We're the same age, Ogasawara-san."

"But…"

"But I'm a year behind you?"

"…"

"Let's just put it this way: some of us have bigger demons than just a daddy comp—"

"Enough! Whatever kept you from school must have been difficult for you, but it doesn't make other people's issues less burdensome." Sei interjected. "We all have our demons and we fight our own battles every day."

"…"

"Now, you come with me." Sei took Yumi by the hand and started to walk toward the front door. "You stay here Sachiko. You're not the Straw Millionaire. I see you, though. I know what you were about to do…"

Sachiko thought that if she was really the Millionaire, she had chosen the wrong straw.

###

"Are you out of your mind?"

Sachiko sat at the table with a cup of oolong tea in front of her. Tsutako was unusually quiet, sitting to the side of Shimako.

"Onee-sama, you said that if I had a Petite Soeur I didn't have to pla—."

"You _are_ out of your mind!" Youko was stern; calm and collected yet firm, just like she needed to be. Youko was also smart and beautiful; many would have called her 'the whole shebang.' Nevertheless, the only person who Youko wanted to see her in that light had decided she was going to go through life with a wall built around her heart.

The reigning Rosa Chinensis sat there and sipped on her tea, waiting on a response from her petite soeur. No words were uttered for a long time, only the clinking of the teacups carefully hitting their respective saucers could be heard. It wasn't as if awkwardness had enveloped the moment, the silence allowed Sachiko to think and the other girls to take a breather from the series of interesting events that had transpired that afternoon.

"That kid should have just let you crack your skull open." Torii Eriko finally broke the silence.

"Even you, Rosa Foetida?!"

"Yes. Even me, Sachiko. You went a bit too far there."

"Especially with that first-year being who she is." Youko breathed heavily.

"What do you mean?"

"Let's just say… the kid hasn't had the best of luck in life."

"Onee-sama…" Sachiko lowered her head, "I am sorry."

Just as Eriko was about to move on, Youko spoke softly, "I don't buy it."

"But, onee—"

"You're incredibly hasty and thoughtless, Sachiko." Rosa Chinensis interrupted. "And you're not sorry. Well, maybe sorry for yourself, but not for acting like a child toward that first-year. Who, in their right mind, offers their rosary to a stranger like that?"

Two palms slammed against the table making teacups and saucers tumble, "But I had picked her to be my petite soeur!"

At that moment, Tsutako stood up, "I'm sorry, Rosa Chinensis, but I believe they have met before, so perhaps your assumption might be at least a little inaccurate." Tsutako followed her words by extending her arms and handing Youko the picture she had taken that morning. The Red Rose examined it carefully.

"They had talked before, Rosa Chinensis, Rosa Foetida," Shimako added, "that's why the two ladies were here: to see Sachiko-sama."

"Is that true, Sachiko?"

Sachiko said not a word. She simply walked toward Youko and took the picture in her own hands, scrutinizing it as carefully as Rosa Chinensis had done herself. Yumi's pigtails lay atop of her shoulders, her eyes looked straight at Sachiko's hands, which were tying the white scarf.

Tsutako had a great gift, the Ace of the Photography club's shot was really on point that morning. Sachiko's face was soft for a change, and she seemed to have been enjoying the contact with Yumi; however, try as Sachiko might, she could not remember talking to anyone that morning, let alone helping a stranger by fixing their uniform.

"I hope this is enough proof that I wasn't out of my mind for wanting to ask her to become my Petite Soeur." Although she couldn't remember the interaction earlier that day, Sachiko cleverly used the picture in order to try and appease her onee-sama.

Shimako, Rei and Yoshino uttered an unison, "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry for thinking you were insane." Eriko's words dripped with sarcasm.

"Yeah… I still don't buy it, Sachiko." Youko interjected. "…If you know each other, then what's your friend's name?"

"…"

"My friend's name?" Sachiko wasn't counting on her onee-sama's wits.

"Her nam—"

At that exact second, the biscuit door swung open and Sei squealed, "You gotta take a look at this picture of Yumi and her brother!"

 _Yumi_ , Sachiko thought.

"Look!" Sei lifted a picture of the two siblings at age four or five. Maybe Yumi had made a mistake by sharing the photograph that she carried in her wallet with the rambunctious White Rose. "These Fukuzawas are too cute!"

"Fukuzawa Yumi," Sachiko said under her breath. And just then, her heart felt strange, as if a burden had been lifted up from her chest for a split second and then replaced with a heavier load. Sachiko had felt a similar anxiety once before, but that couldn't have been the same feeling, could have?

Out of a sudden, Sachiko spoke louder than the giggles coming from the girls hurdled around Sei, "Yumi."

And just like that the giggles subsided.

"Hai…"

Sachiko walked up to where Yumi stood and stopped right in front of the brunette. She then looked at her onee-sama, then back to Yumi. Sachiko lifted her rosary from her chest and looked at the crucifix, she then removed the rosary from around her neck and opened it in front of Yumi, "Please, become my Petite Soeur…"

"Are you fu—"

"Oh, Whoa! Ah! Yumi-chan has the face of an angel but the mouth of a sailor!"

Yumi's blush reached the tip of her ears. Maybe there was too much caffeine in her medicated blood, or maybe she was just having an off day, whatever the reason was, she immediately berated herself for –almost– cursing in front of the Yamayurikai.

"I…" Yumi started. "Ogasawara Sachiko-san..." Sachiko cringed at the sound of her full name being uttered so gently but with so much disdain. "I… appreciate your request and understand your situation – Sei-sama explained everything to me – but, I am no one's savior and I don't consider myself disposable either. Had you asked me if I could play the role of Cinderella in the Yamayurikai's play so you didn't have to, I might have considered it, but to abuse of your power to the point of lying to get your way… I don't think I can accept your rosary, even though it is beautiful, and I am sure, worth more than what my parents make in a week."

"…"

"It seems as if Sachiko has been rejected for the second time in a week…" Eriko chuckled.

"These first-years are something else…"

Yumi had quietly made her way toward the biscuit door and was about to walk out when she heard Sei say, "Well, Sachan remains as Cinderella, then."

"You know." The brunette raised her voice and everyone turned toward the door. "Before I go, I wanted to say that I am a bit surprised that the Yamayurikai onee-samas would force a junior to do something she feels uncomfortable doing.

"No one has asked for your opinion. And what are you still doing here?"

"Ogasawara-san," Yumi chuckled, "You are a spoiled brat and you don't deserve the friends you have. I pity the person who takes that rosary from around your neck. Roses, en-boutons, gokigenyou." She closed the door quietly and walked down the stairs slowly. Her heart was racing, her hands shaking, her face covered in a deep red hue. Even Yumi herself was surprised at such bold move.

* * *

A/N: Yes, perhaps it is a bit cliche that two characters would share a heart condition, but maybe, and just maybe, that similarity might make Yoshino and Yumi's relationship even stronger ;) ;)

As always, thank you so very much for reading!


	3. Heavy Rope

A/N: Hello!

Hoping everyone has survived the Thanksgiving festivities.

It's amazing to think that some of us overthink things so much, we end up putting ourselves in difficult situations for lack of courage. Sei and Youko are no different, hence chapter three of this story.

Thank you for reading!

* * *

 _Sei_

Out of all of the people she could have encountered, Youko wasn't ready for it to be Satou Sei; it was summer break, after all. Lillian University's campus was deserted, the trail connecting the library to the front gates only had the gingko and sakura trees as company, though if one looked closely toward the path, they could see a head full of blonde hair leaning against the trunk of a tree, and Youko could spot that yellow head from a million kilometers away. The brunette tried to ignore what she saw, but her legs betrayed her, taking a detour from the paved path onto the green grass leading to the woman who made Youko's heart weak.

"Sei." Youko whispered trying not to startle the blonde who was sound asleep.

Slowly, Youko closed the distance between herself and the blonde, squatting in front of Sei before trying again,"Satou-Sei-san!" her fingers stroking Sei's face with the ultimate care.

That simple touch was capable of carrying enough power to make Youko's heart want to escape from her chest. It was as if every butterfly, quietly house within that strong muscle, had decided, all at once, it was time to flee.

When tired gray eyes finally met ebony ones, Youko's voice was caught in her throat and only after much effort she finally managed to ask Sei what she was doing there alone.

"I'm just lying here."

Youko asked about sunscreen, which she knew Sei had forgotten to apply on herself, and she received a "save your investigations for the classroom" jab back.

"Sei…"

"That's my name."

Youko wanted to scream. She wanted Sei to be safe, happy and she wanted the blonde to live a good life, which was the reason why Youko had distanced herself after graduating from high school. After all of those years together in the Yamayurikai, the former Rosa Chinensis had finally realized that Sei was at her best when Youko wasn't around. Plus, Sei had Yumi – who had filled a large void in the blonde's heart. The younger Red Rose didn't walk on eggshells around Sei, like Youko did, perhaps because she was never around for the Kubo Shiori debacle, or perhaps because Yumi was much braver than Youko could have ever been. Although the former Rosa Chinensis thought herself to be a woman of strong resolve, when it came down to Satou Sei, Youko felt like a craven child. In any case, Youko thought Yumi was better off that way, the tales she heard about 'Forest of Thorns' were only words being regurgitated by people who thought they knew what had happened. Even Sei was rather cavalier when retelling her story to both Yumi and Yoshino back in high school.

The truth of the matter was that Youko liked Sei. She had liked the blonde for a long time and had kept her feelings to herself because she didn't want their relationship to change had Sei not reciprocated her feelings. To Youko, the implications of telling Sei how she felt were much bigger than simply confessing to a friend, and Rosa Chinensis wasn't ready for a White and Red rose revolution; therefore, she remained silent.

Moreover, Youko still thought that those feelings, hidden deep under the layers of her heart, were going to dissipate sooner or later. To Youko, that school crush that had turned into a dolorous wound would heal as soon as the right person came along – and the brunette was more than ready to be swept off her feet by her knight in shiny armor.

"I…" Youko stood, moving her messenger bag from one shoulder to the other, "…wasn't expecting to see you here."

In all honesty, Youko didn't want to cut the conversation short, though she said those words carefully, thinking about what the blonde's onee-sama had once told her many years ago: _If we force things upon Sei, she'll break into a million pieces and who's going to pick them up?_

Youko would.

But Youko wasn't Kubo Shiori. In many ways Youko was _not_ Kubo Shiori. Youko would have picked up the pieces of Sei and put them back together with all of the care and love a person could have for another human being. But Youko wasn't Kubo Shiori, and that was an issue, because to Youko, Shiori was the only person who could have saved Sei, and without Shiori, Sei would have lived her last year of high school as a shell of herself; simply going through the motions, never committing, never taking any more chances and trying to protecting her heart with all of her strength.

When graduation rolled around, Youko broke her own heart by promising herself she would cut ties with the blonde. To the brunette, the distance was a necessary choice if she were to move on, and every day she made a conscious decision not to contact the blonde as well as to avoid any communication coming from Sei. Everyday she berated herself for being a coward and for not telling Sei the truth. When Sei's attempts to reach out to Youko subsided, the former Rosa Chinensis was absolutely devastated by the very thing she wanted the most. Even so, life went on, though that void in Youko's heart was never again occupied.

There was a warm breeze reaching the top of the trees lining Lillian's paths, and such draft did nothing to help with the heat, on the contrary, the wind was a reminder that summer was around the corner and that there was no escape, try as one might, from the changing of seasons.

The awkward silence between the estranged friends lasted but a flash, "Look around, Youko-san, what do you see?"

Such a peculiar question which could only have come out of Satou Sei's mouth. The campus was empty, even the library, visited by Youko not even fifteen minutes prior to that encounter felt as if it had been abandoned, save the one lonely librarian who was sitting at a corner behind the counter, reading a paperback.

Looking around part of Youko felt sad for missing the high school side of that campus so much; life was so much easier within the Lillian gates, "I see you," she answered with her back toward Sei.

"But do you see anything else?"

"The path, trees, buildings, the sky. I don't think I understand you."

"I think you do understand… This path is wonderful when it can be seen like this: in its most natural form, without the cluttered of people around it. All of these things you see, I see also. All of these things; from the grass, to the shades of the trees; everything is flawlessly positioned…"

Whether it was the amount of pot Sei had been smoking or the amount of Dewey she had been reading, whatever it was, it was doing wonders to the blonde's soul.

Youko couldn't fathom the changes she saw in Sei after Shiori left – the brunette thought Sei was out of her mind for trying to build a wall around her heart because Shiori wasn't woman enough to love her. Seeing Sei in one piece again was a relief for Youko who had always worried about the people she loved. However, the fact that Sei's heart had healed also told Youko that the blonde might have been ready to love again.

Thoughts of Sei being intimate with another someone flooded Youko's mind. It was the caressing of another someone's skin, the carefulness of Sei's lips touching another's, the sweet words being whispered inside someone else's ear, the featherweight touch of her fingers on another someone's skin and the thrusting of hips. It was the trembling of plateau and the quivering of Sei's body when she had reached climax; Youko wanted that somebody to be her so badly, she had completely missed the last part of Sei's philosophical explanation of Lillian's lonely path.

Youko had finally turned around to face the blonde again, and Sei looked at her like she had asked Youko the ultimate question and had gotten absolutely nothing for an answer.

"I have to go." Sei stood and started to walk away.

 _If we force things upon Sei, she'll break into a million pieces and who's going to pick them up?_

###

"Sei." Youko's voice reverberated in Sei's dream.

The small campus was barely empty and Sei had always thought it looked better that way. People's presence did nothing but deface the view. The path, which connected the main buildings of Lillian University, was beautifully taken care of and although the temperature was quite high, the grass still looked pristinely green.

Sei liked being out in the open, without the confinement and the limitations of four walls – no matter how big a room was. Even within a 250-person lecture hall, the blonde still felt constrained. Being able to enjoy the warmth of the sun in that lonely afternoon had made the blonde's day all the more enjoyable.

"Satou-Sei-san!"

 _It couldn't be._

When Sei opened her eyes and sat up from lying on the grass, the vision across from her was magnificent, and the butterflies hit the blonde's chest like a mallet.

"What are you doing?" Came the harmless chuckle, in the soft melody that was Mizuno Youko's voice.

"I'm just lying here."

"In this heat? You're probably not even wearing any sunscreen, are you?"

"Youko, please, save the investigations for the classroom."

"Sei."

"That's my name."

Youko explained that she wasn't expecting to stumble upon the blonde. There were books she needed for research that were only available at Lillian and for that reason she had to cross town to pick them up.

It was a bit surreal for Sei to have been awoken by the former Red Rose. Out of all of the people that could have crossed paths with the blonde that day, Youko was at the bottom of Sei's list. She knew for a fact that Youko rarely made her way to Lillian's neighborhood –whether it was on purpose, in order to avoid the blonde, or just a matter of convenience, for having everything she needed by Tokyo University. The blonde had been avoided like the plague by Youko ever since they had graduate from high school, which strengthened the girl's assurance that she could stroll around the small campus without fearing that her heart would be pulled out of her chest and squeezed into mush by just accidentally running into Youko.

"Youko-san…"

The blonde felt an unexplainable force moving her lips on its own accord. Perhaps it was time to say the things that she left unsaid so many times before. Perhaps that force, compelling Sei to speak, was the last of the strength the blonde had mustered within her heart, the last string of hope connecting the two friends.

"Yes?" Youko asked, looking straight at the blonde. It was breathtaking, the sun reaching the dark hair and shining its light on that girl who was already lovely in the eyes of Sei.

"When you look around, what do you see?" Was what came out of Sei's mouth.

Youko took the question literally, looking around as her body turned 180 degrees, "I see you," came the answer.

Sei's throat tightened. Youko had this incredible ability to set the blonde's heart ablaze with the simplest of the words. But Youko was a prude. Youko was a know-it-all, fucking prude. Youko wouldn't understand that if there were anyone who could have picked up Sei's broken pieces, it would have had to be the former Rosa Chinensis. Youko wouldn't have understood that Sei's scars had healed long ago, and that she was finally able to love herself and consequently, she was also finally ready to love Youko the way the brunette deserved to be loved: unconditionally, unabashedly, entirely. To have loved Youko in any other way would have been simply unfair.

Moreover, to have confessed to Youko after having invested so much of herself in Shiori would have seemed as a cheap rebound, an excuse to forget what had happened, and it was not as if Sei wanted to lose herself in Youko in hopes to forget about Shiori; it had never been about forgetting Shiori, it had always been about falling for Youko too quickly after having lost Shiori – although the feeling was there, ever so strong, Sei was scared. After all, to have loved Youko without healing first would have completely destroyed any chance that Sei had to truly give the brunette everything she thought Youko deserved.

Unfortunately, Sei had waited too long to voice her feelings and Youko started to distance herself before the blonde's heart had been able to be picked up and put back together. Then Youko decided to attend a university other than Lillian, which made it easier for her to stop answering the phone calls and text messages from Sei. Every attempt Sei had made to see Youko and talked to her was somehow ignored or avoided. So the blonde tried to let Youko go, and she thought she had done a very good job until the woman had walked up to her just a few minutes prior to the start of that conversation.

"But do you see anything else?" Sei berated herself for sounding jaded, though it was either that or no voice at all.

"The path, trees, buildings, the sky. I don't think I understand your question."

"I think you do understand."

"…"

"This path is wonderful when it can be seen like this: in its most natural form, without the clutter of people around it. All of these things you see, I see also. All of these things; from the grass, to the shades of the trees; everything is flawlessly positioned. Right now, I look around and I fail to see one thing that I don't love."

To Sei, there couldn't be a clearer way to speak of her feelings toward the lovely woman across from her. Nevertheless, since Youko had completely ignored the last portion of her explanation – not even caring to face the blonde – Sei had gotten her answer and was ready to walk away. It was time to move on, for real that time, so she stood, grabbed her book and her keys and started to walk, "I have to go, Youko."

"Wait!"

Youko ran toward the blonde, reaching for the woman's hand, "Say it again…"

"Youko…" Sei looked at her feet, her white sneakers stained in various shades of green. Then instead of green-stained shoes, Sei faced a pair of ebony orbs as Youko stood in front of the blonde with the resolve of not letting her go until she had an answer, "Please, say it again…" the brunette pleaded.

"I said…" Sei looked deep into Youko's eyes, "that I didn't see one thing around me that I didn't love."

Youko claimed Sei's free hand, "Do you mean what you say?"

"Look, Youko…"

"Just answer the question, Satou Sei."

There was silence, but it wasn't awkward any longer. Sei's heart was pounding against her chest, her skin burned where Youko's fingers landed, whether Youko would turn down Sei's advances or actually say yes to her words didn't matter to Sei anymore. That moment though, when onyx locked with gray, would have been branded in Sei's mind for eternity, either as a beautiful memory of the beginning of a new story, or as the bittersweet ending of whatever was left from their friendship, and there was no avoiding either one or the other. Regardless, Sei was ready, the moment was overdue, so she spoke, " I mean every syllable, every single word, the entire sentence. But I lied about one thing."

"Sei, you can't take that back, you're not allow—"

"Out of everything I see, I love you the most."

* * *

A/N: How was it?

Again, thank you for reading! :)


	4. Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left

A/N: Hello!

Hoping this chapter finds everybody doing well.

This chapter's full tittle is: Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, B, A, Start ;)

Thank you for reading!

* * *

 _You should have gone to Lillian._

There it was again: the thought that irritated Noriko the most. Sumireko might have been right, though, had Noriko chosen to attend Lillian, she would have been able to go to Kyoto to see the statue of Kannon. Nevertheless, since the brunette had decided that her entrance exam was of utmost importance, she had to live with the fact that she wouldn't be able to see the statue until she was 35, and that alone was a sad thought to say the least.

Another thing that had recently started to bug the girl was the idea that Lillian could have brought Noriko closer to Yumi and all of her Yamayurikai friends she spoke so fondly of sooner, and perhaps, having those lovely girls around would have allowed Noriko to have a normal high school career. What Noriko didn't know was that by not choosing the _right path,_ her heart could have found itself filled with a love she couldn't even imagine existed.

The irony of it all was that the brunette had avoided any sort of closeness with people her age before because she thought it would interfere with her plans. Noriko wanted things that way, she preferred solitude which in her mind would have brought her freedom, over the ties of relationships as those could only deter her from being able to make _right decisions_ without the swaying influence of people. Though, right at that point of her life, she had started to rethink such strategy – she was beginning to learn that the power of bonds created by people could make incredible changes in one's life.

 _You should have gone to Lillian_. Sumireko's voice rang in Noriko's head.

Reality is never what one expects it to be, and Noriko found herself in a strange position where she had everything she hoped for, but nothing filled the void in her heart. She had asked herself 'why,' many times in the past and could never come up with a proper answer to that strange emptiness. Nevertheless, watching the interaction between Yumi and Touko –even if it had been for only a few minutes – as well as listening to Yumi's stories about the Yamayurikai and the bonds between those girls, had brought forward the sudden realization that the missing parts of the puzzle which was Noriko's happiness had nothing to do to her academic accomplishments and everything to do with the people who surrounded her. Granted, Noriko had Sumireko and Takuya, they were indeed her friends, they were also mentors and people she trusted with her eyes closed, but they were older and had already understood many things Noriko was yet to learn.

"Ugh!" Noriko breathed out, "Sumireko-san, get off my head."

"Oh my! But I never said a word!" Sumireko turned around from the sink where she was rinsing off the electric kettle. Looking straight at Noriko who was sitting at the table, the older woman questioned, "What's the matter, Riko?"

"It's Lillian."

"Who's Lillian?"

"Sumireko-san, you're so dense sometimes! It's Lillian Academy..."

"Oh! What about it?"

"I should've have gone there."

"Riko-chan..."

"…"

Sumireko finished with the kettle then refilled Noriko's coffee and finally sat down by the young girl, though Noriko was in her own world and didn't realize her aunt was there until she cleared her throat, bringing the brunette back to Earth as her eyes refocused and were finally able to see the steam coming from the mug sitting on the table in front of her. Noriko said a quick "Thank you," and grabbed the mug with both her hands, blowing into it before taking a sip.

"You'll be able to see the Kannon statue sooner than you'd think." Sumireko made the assumption then continued, "…the years will fly by, you'll see."

The rising sun shone its light warily through the window by the sink, illuminating most of the kitchen and making its way through the dining area. Sumireko had noticed that while that warm light had bathed her side of the table, Noriko's had remained in the dark. The older woman looked a Noriko for a long while, allowing the room to be still once again and letting Noriko take as long as she needed to soak in that silence, which was ever so comfortable –Thank you, Maria-sama for Sumireko's sensitivity.

Sumireko knew that as the Earth moved, it was just a matter of time for Noriko's side of the table to enjoy the light and warmth of the sun: one needed to know darkness in order to appreciate light and the older woman was more than sure that her niece was ready for light at last.

"Talk to me, Riko-chan." Sumireko finally broke the silence.

###

It was almost summer and at the highest point in the day the sun was warmer than Noriko wanted it to be. She had left her house after listening carefully –once again- to Sumireko's favorite stories about Lillian high school division. The older woman had a way with words which made the various tales about soeurships all the more endearing in Noriko's heart – it was as if those true stories, which had been told and retold innumerous times by Sumireko, were brought to life as the most wonderful fairy tales.

The way Sumireko highlighted the smallest of details allowed Noriko to close her eyes and picture the life of those girls who were strong-willed, opinionated and mature –a far cry from Noriko's craven self– taking leaps of faith in order to find happiness. Not to mention how Sumireko always took her time to explain the greatness of the soeur system and how "this incredible connection between the parties involved harvested a love and respect that was everlasting." Each rosary that adorned those maidens' necks carried the traditional grand soeurs' oaths of growth and guidance, though it also conveyed the unspoken, yet completely inevitable love which those relationships were simply bound to yield. If Sumireko's stories weren't enough, Noriko experienced the strength of that bond when she watched the interactions between Yumi and Touko when the brunette first met Yumi's petite soeur.

 _If the connection between Fukuzawa-san and Matsudaira-san was such of true soeurs, then what of Fukuzawa's onee-sama?_ Noriko thought of the many possibilities that could have revolved around those two. _She never mentioned her so they might not even be close,_ she thought as she embarked a train in K station. _Fukuzawa-san doesn't seem bothered by it anyway, plus, she has a girlfr— No way!_ Noriko's jaw dropped at the thought of that kind of relationship booming from Lillian's soeurship. For the people surrounding Noriko, she looked as if she was simply resting her head on her arm while she held on to an overhead belt because all the seats were taken. The truth of the matter was: the brunette had buried her face in her arm to hide her blush at the thought of Yumi being in a relationship with her onee-sama.

The fact that Yumi was taken had been addressed during one of their first encounters; however, it had never resurfaced until Yumi had invited Noriko to meet her Yamayurikai friends. "You'll get to meet my best friends in the entire world and my girlfriend, too!" Yumi had told Noriko. But that was it, there were no names exchanged, nor further explanation of how many people would be there or anything else.

Since Noriko didn't know what to expect, she decided to arrive early in order to analyze the perimeter from afar first. For that she needed an accomplice, and Takuya was the best partner for 'afar observation' Noriko could have ever asked for.

There was a restaurant right across the park everyone was supposed to meet at and Takuya had decided to make himself comfortable at a table in the patio. Takuya was a clever man so when Noriko sat by him she didn't ask why he had decided to be in such a visible area. Nevertheless, she understood how he was hidden in plain sight when she looked up and saw that because of the angle that the patio had been set up, one had to really be looking into the restaurant and through the umbrellas to see anything.

 _Takuya-kun, you old bastard!_

"May we have a couple of iced teas and a small bottle of sake, please." Takuya said to the waitress who was in the middle of filling up his water cup.

"Isn't it too early for you to be drinking?"

"The opportunity presented itself, my dear."

"And why is this an opportunity presenting itself?"

"Because you came all the way here, and you look as if you already want to leave."

"…"

"I know you too well, Noriko-chan."

"These women have been friends for God-knows how long. I feel like I am intruding."

"But you were legitimately invited, correct?"

"Yes."

"And you accepted the invitation, true?"

"Yes."

"And you got in the train and came all the way here, am I right?"

"Yes."

"Then all you need to do is just be the Riko-chan we all know and love." He smiled.

"Ugh!"

Takuya was silent for a second while he watched the waitress place the order at the center of the table. When she left, he resumed, "Don't be a brat!"

"…But."

"But nothing." He said handing the girl a can of tea and a small glass full of sake. Noriko took both, drank the shot and chased it with the cold tea. Takuya did the same.

Within twenty minutes a dark-haired girl wearing dark trousers and a white button up shirt tucked in with the sleeves rolled up, appeared by the fountain across from Noriko and Takuya. The girl looked around before sitting at a bench under a tree.

"I believe we have our first target!" Takuya seemed excited. "And from what I see, she is quite the catch, Noriko-chan."

"We're not here for you to find me a date…" Noriko said, without hiding the sass.

Ten or fifteen minutes later, the girl picked up a phone from her bag and stood up, walked toward the crosswalk and waved her hand. Two more girls joined her: a tall one, short, blonde hair, wearing jeans and a tank top as well as a short one with long, dark hair divided into two ponytails and neatly braided.

"No luck for you on that one, Riko… that little one looks feisty and the blonde only has eyes for her!"

"Takuya-kun!"

"Noriko-chan! Don't be so grump— Whoa! Look at the others!" Takuya sure knew how to enjoy himself.

"That's Fukuzawa-san, Takuya-kun. I better get going." Noriko stood and threw her backpack on her back.

"Ah, pa, pa pa!" When will I see you again?" Takuya asked.

"When will you need me next?"

"Soon."

"Just let me know when. And…Takuya-kun… Thanks for the sake, I think it took the edge off without making me smell like a drunk."

"You could have had the entire bottle, my dear. You can't smell sake!"

"Always one step ahead of me, Takuya-kun. Thank you for being a good friend."

Noriko bowed deeply and walked away, leaving Takuya with a bright smile on his face. Meeting new people, making friends, doing things someone her age does; those things were only happening because Noriko was finally giving herself a chance. Takuya was one of the few people who knew that for so long Noriko had worked hard in order to pursue what she thought was the perfect path. What she wasn't counting on was the fact that one could only go so far alone. Takuya knew Noriko could go farther with the proper help and support, he hoped with all of his old heart that those girls across from him could be the ones allowing Noriko to grow in ways she couldn't even fathom at that point.

As Takuya watched Noriko cross the street and approach the group of girls hurdled up in a circle in that park, his heart swelled up with love for the girl. What a wonderful thing to observe from where he stood: the turning of pages, the end of solitude, the beginning of a new chapter.

Not in a millions years would Noriko have thought that by taking that sake shot and crossing the street, pressing on toward that park, she would be completely changing the way her life would have turned out to be.

One step after the other, the brunette closed the distance between her and those girls, one step after the other, slowly and deliberately, she approached the group. There was no need to rush those things.

"Hello." Noriko said. "I'm Nijou Noriko, Fukuzawa-san's friend." She bowed, "Please, take good care of me."

Noriko didn't even have to ask.

* * *

A/N: Make sure to press "select" before "start" when using two controllers, then write me a review ;)

Thank you!


	5. All the Wild Horses

A/N: Hello!

This is a super short chapter, I know... but it just wanted to be written as such - I hope concise doesn't come across as crappy.

The more I write this, the more I think I bit more than I could chew. Please, let me know if you're still enjoying the story. The last thing I want to do is to bore people...

Cheers!

* * *

Youko's hand grabbed onto Sachiko's arm right before the raven-haired girl left the meeting room in the second floor of the Rose Mansion, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Somebody has to stop her, Onee-sama!"

"And why do you think you are the most qualified person for such task?"

"Because I still wish to make Yumi my little sister, is it not obvious?"

"Are you sure?"

"You're doubting my character!"

"I was."

"…"

"By claiming you still have the desire to make Yumi your petite soeur, you get yourself out of a mountain of trouble, Sachiko. Had you just left things as they were, I would have had to severe ties with you."

"Onee-sama!"

"I don't think you have the right to be outraged."

"…" Sachiko was clearly hurt.

"Now go!"

Ogasawara Sachiko, heiress of the Ogasawara Corporation, ran through the corridor that led to the stairs, then down it she went, like she had done that many times before –or like she wished to do it many times and was prevented by thoughts of people watching her and judging her for having to withhold certain standards of nobility. However, at that second, all she could think of was Yumi. Her mind had been completely flooded with the brunette's face, and Yumi's voice rang so loudly in Sachiko's ears that nothing could have kept the heiress from breaking the rules and disturbing the pleads of her skirt. That feeling was scary, though wonderfully liberating.

The first-year's room hadn't changed at all from the previous year, from the color of the lockers to the activities board hanging by the entrance; it was as if time never moved within those walls. Reminiscing; however, was something Sachiko had no desire to do at that moment.

 _Fukuzawa._ Sachiko looked around for the locker.

 _Fukuzawa._ It couldn't be that difficult to find it.

"Fukuzawa," the heiress whispered. And again, "Fukuzawa," this time louder.

"Yumi!" The younger girl was headed out the door, and she couldn't help but hear Sachiko call her name. She kept walking nonetheless, making Sachiko run and stop her, "Please, hear me out!"

"What else do you want from me, Ogasawara-san? Is this what you rich kids do for fun?" Sachiko took yet another hit without even flinching. It wasn't the fact that Yumi's words weren't hurtful, it was as if the raven-haired girl wanted someone like Yumi to tell those truths to her face. Sachiko was used to being treated as a princess by underclassmen, though she knew that many of the girls were scared of her explosive temperament. To have had Yumi call her out and then leave the way she did, was actually a breath of fresh air to Sachiko. Well, Yumi's behavior was more like a much necessary summer rain, which ends up turning into a wild storm. And Sachiko wasn't afraid of a little wind.

"I would like nothing more than to speak with you," Sachiko started calmly. "There are many things I would like to clarify. I believe you see me in a very different light than others, and it is my wish to question you regarding the reasons for such vantage point. And perhaps, you would stick around for the reasons behind my failed attempt to giving you my rosary."

"…"

"I promise you, Yumi, I just want a few minutes so I can explain myself."

"You can start, then."

Sachiko took a step toward the path lined with gingko trees, "How about you walk with me?"

"But..." Yumi was looking down at the heiress' feet.

"But?"

"…What about your shoes?"

"There is no need to worry about them. Nothing that some water and soap cannot fix. And if it cannot be cleaned, then be it, the stains will be a reminder of the day I met you."

Sachiko didn't hesitate to step on the concrete with her indoor shoes again, and down the paved trail they went, strolling pass girls clad in dark-green dresses with their sailor collars perfectly tied into a knot and resting atop their chests, "Gokigenyou, Rosa Chinensis en bouton," they'd greet. "Gokigenyou," Sachiko would reply.

Sachiko reached for the door of the green house, and wiggled it opened, allowing Yumi to enter the room first. Once the door had been closed behind them, she started, "This is my favorite place on this campus."

"It's very well taken care of." Yumi responded.

"These," Sachiko kneeled in front of a vase, "…are Rosa Chinensis."

"I see." Yumi replied.

"They're p—"

"Perennials. Just like Hydrangea and Hibiscus."

"That's right." Sachiko moved two small vases from the ledge making enough space for herself and Yumi to sit.

"Please, have a seat. I don't bite."

Yumi sat by the heiress, her back hunched to the likes of Quasimodo.

"Listen, Yumi." Sachiko started, going on to explain she had no recollection of that morning and apologizing for not remembering what had happened, "You see, I have low blood sugar and mornings are rough on me."

"I was expecting to be scorned by you."

"I… am deeply sorry that I come across as a someone who would do such a thing, Yumi."

"It's… fine."

"I am also sorry for trying to use you as an excuse to avoid my duties as Rosa Chinensis en bouton."

"Yeah… that was a bit too much, don't you think?"

"I absolutely agree with you."

"…"

"Look, I have been placed in a very delicate situation involving my personal life and the Yamyurik—"

"Are you going to marry him?" Ironically enough that wasn't going to be the last time Yumi would ask Sachiko such a pressing question.

"Excuse-me?"

"You're betrothed to someone, correct?"

"Did Sei tell you that?!"

"Do you always underestimate the people who look after you?"

"…"

"Sei didn't tell me anything I didn't need to know. I read it on the newspaper a while ago. Last year was one of supreme boredom for me. Reading was… all I had."

"I see." Sachiko inhaled deeply, "It's all for the sake of the Ogasawara name. He doesn't even love me." Sachiko had never discussed the matter with any of her friends before, to be that straightforward with someone she had just met and whom she thought didn't even like her, felt strange though right in more than one way.

"But, you love him."

"I…" she stopped.

"…"

"I used to."

For the first time in what seemed an eternity, Sachiko meant every single word which comprised that sentence. "I used to," She repeated, a smile tugging at her lips, then she looked at Yumi, who still stared at the floor like she was a priest lacking the safety of their confessional. Sachiko's heart swelled up against her chest to the point she feared it would burst: it was freedom.

"He was my best friend and my favorite person in the entire world. I have no doubt he saw me the same way… but…"

"But… he couldn't love you." Yumi was trying to be considerate for once. Yuuki had talked about Kashiwagi Suguru before, and apparently the guy was a bigger princess than Sachiko.

"No."

"I see. So you'd rather set the building on fire and throw a stranger under the bus than dance with your best friend? You're a strange woman."

"Has anybody ever told you that you are a bit too candid?"

Yumi lifted her head to meet Sachiko's eyes for the first time since they had entered the green house, "Candid?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Why do I have to play nice when you're trying to persuade people to do things for you?

"I was just making an observation..."

"Leaving things half-said is a mistake a lot of people make."

"I see…"

Yumi's gaze had returned to the plants carefully placed onto the ground. She started to make her way across the room, recounting the rosa chinensis again: two buds, the other four flowers had already bloomed. Orange Tulips, which Yumi had never seen in person before, some blossomed, others still not ready to take that leap quite yet. Then there were Rosemary pots and the younger girl thought they might as well be named Fukuzawa for being so mundane. The pot next to the Rosemary was a Calydorea Coelestina; though Yumi didn't know what it was really called; the purple flowers were also in full bloom and they were simply beautiful, much like the girl sitting by her, ready to ask the brunette quite an interesting question, "Is there a reason why you don't like me?"

"…Would it change your life if I did?"

"Perhaps…" Sachiko started but pause for a quick second to readjust herself on the ledge, her feet dangling and hitting the wall, "I am not sure about what the future holds, though. I have offered you my rosary before, right? Had you accepted it, our lives would have changed forever, but we have missed that opportunity to transform our tomorrow… At any rate, right now, I would really appreciate if you answered my questions, please." Sachiko finished, rather timidly.

Yumi looked at Sachiko. Pools of deep blue awaited patiently, a lock of her hair stubbornly making itself free and selfishly hiding a portion of the heiress' face until she gently brushed it behind her ear. The scent of flowers had been easily beaten by Sachiko's perfume.

"I didn't take you for a masochist, but if you insist, I'll repeat myself: You're a spoiled brat." Yumi looked at the heiress.

"Okay… I know there's more."

After a deep breath, the brunette continued, "…I can bet that you don't remember the faces of the girls who greeted you earlier when we were walking here. Those girls –I don't even know why – adore Ogasawara Sachiko. They fucking revere you, some of them probably dream of you. And you have no idea who they are or what they look like… Why should I be like them and like someone who has no idea I even exist? You'll greet those kids with a smile, and you'll fix their untied scarves but you'll do it in such a manner that you don't have to remember them, because, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter to you. You're a show off, a rich little child who loves the attention but pretends you don't." Yumi stopped to look at Sachiko who just sat there immobile. "Should I continue?"

"…"

"We share no interests, we live in different worlds. I don't like princesses and you're the epitome of royal—"

"I get it." Sachiko's hand gently touched Yumi's arm. "What if I could prove to you that I'm not half the things you think I am?"

"You don't need to prove anything to anyone." Yumi wasn't searching for explanations, she wasn't asking for the heiress to do anything. She was simply giving Sachiko the answer to her questions in hopes she could be off the hook once again, so she could go back to being a vase of Rosemary.

"I think Yumi is worth the effort."

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading


	6. Your Name Here

Nobody had told Noriko that she was going to be stuck in a car full of strangers –save for Yumi – for two hours.

Two full hours.

"Rei-chan drives like a grandma. Youko will get there first and Touko will take the nicest room!"

"She'll let Youko take the nicest room."

"Ugh! That's not the point!" Yoshino's voice cracked.

"But…"

"Rei-chan, for Maria-sama's sake, please, drive just a bit faster!"

Takuya-kun was right _. Something's going on between Hasekura-sama and Shimazu-san,_ Noriko thought. She stared at the back of Yoshino's seat, listening to the bickering of the two cousins in front of her; the two girls talked to one another as if they were the only people in that car. Noriko clasped her hands together, shook her head lightly, –so no one could see – and smirked. The lighthearted back and forth felt comfortable, and familiar like it needed to be happening to show Noriko they already trusted the girl even though they knew very little about her. To add to Noriko's awe, Yumi was dating her onee-sama, who had turned out to be the heiress of the Ogasawara Company.

 _Really, Fukuzawa-san?_ _Who the heck are you?!_

"Remember you have company, Yoshino-chan." Sachiko spoke softly, then laid a hand on Rei's shoulders, "If you speed up a little, I might avoid making a mess in your car." The medicine Sachiko had taken was starting to wear off and she wanted out of that car more than anyone else – even Noriko.

Not that much farther from Rei's car, Youko drove Touko, Kanako and Nana. Their conversation was much less feisty than the other car's; nevertheless, at times, Kanako couldn't help but poke fun of the always so proper Matsudaira Touko. Youko, like a good grandmother, thought Kanako's antics were hilarious – mostly because of the bright crimson hue that adorned Touko's cheeks for a while.

Thankfully for Touko, Youko was about to take the last left turn she needed in order to get to the Ogasawara summer home. _East on Sunrise then left at Carman,_ that's how Touko knew they were almost there. The sound of the tires going from the flat and smooth surface of the road to hitting the pebbles of the Ogasawara's driveway did nothing but make Touko's heart beat a little faster. Although when she was young Touko had spent a long time avoiding that city by all cost because of people she didn't want to see, the girl couldn't help but hold that house dear to her for the fact that many of the most fond memories she had with her Lillian friends happened within that property. She loved that house, the trees surrounding the estate, the tire swing and the gazebo by the lake. She loved the way the sun would set in the water, slowly disappearing in the most amazing shades of oranges and reds. And deep inside, in her heart of hearts, what Touko loved the most was when those oranges and reds bathed a certain tall dark-haired girl who had little by little tried to reach a heart which had been hardened by a very dark and lonely childhood. Granted, Yumi had thrown the first hit which cracked the foundation of the walls surrounding Touko's heart; however, Kanako had been the one who slowly and steadily kept on pounding those walls day in and day out, hoping, with all of her soul that one day those barriers would come crashing down and she would be able to finally reach for that precious heart Matsudaira Touko was hiding.

###

"We made it!" Yoshino's squeal could be heard from a kilometer away.

It wasn't that horrible of a drive…" Rei was opening the trunk and pulling bags from it when she saw Yoshino rolled her eyes before walking toward the house. Noriko watched the interaction from just a couple of meters away; the eye-roll was reassurance that the bickering happened often.

"Yumi-chan, Sachiko-san, can you guys haul this cooler inside?" Rei asked.

The brunette pouted, "But, Noriko and Sachiko are closer to it, though!"

"Noriko-chan is our guest..."

"The rule still applies!" Yumi was referring to this one old Yamayurikai policy:

 _Rule 146: Whoever stands closest to a heavy object must claim themselves responsible for transporting it._

"Then if that's the case, I'd have to carry it…" Rei said.

"Not according to the seventeenth amendment." Yumi smiled then looked at Sachiko.

 _Amendment 17: Notwithstanding, a designated-unloader shall maintain its post until all heavy objects have been delivered accordingly._

Rei shook her head and sat the cooler on the floor. Smiling at Noriko the blonde instructed, "This bad boy is heavy, Yoshino got carried away with the wine again."

"Do you want them in the fridge, Hasekura-sama?" The younger girl asked, grabbing on to one of the handles when she saw Sachiko approach the other side of the cooler.

"Keep everything in there. Youko most likely has packed the fridge anyway. The ice should keep everything cold for the night."

"Got it," Noriko answered then looked at Sachiko walking by her side, then at Yumi and Rei, standing behind her. Those girls: two, bonded by a rosary; all three, brought together by Lillian's student council. Individually they were so different but when they came together their ability to work as a group was tremendous.

The girls sat the cooler on the floor so Sachiko could open the front door, then they lifted the heavy thing up again without the need to exchange words.

It was cool inside the house, the floral cushions on the couch, the pastel-colored curtains which contrasted so naturally with the dark hardwood floors, gave the house a much needed warmth, though nothing could compare to the sound of a room full of people. And toward the kitchen the new acquaintances went, following the loud giggles.

"Is Sachiko harassing you, Noriko-chan? Youko asked, and feigning outrage, Sachiko humpf-ed.

"Ogasawara-sama has been nothing but kind to me."

"Ha!" Rei scoffed behind the two girls.

"I'm sure she hasn't spoken a word to Noriko-chan yet." It was Yumi's turn to poke fun of the heiress.

"Okay, okay, okay." Yoshino lifted her arms like a referee stopping a play. "Since Sachiko needs an ice breaker, Noriko, you'll have to be on the stoplight for a second. Would that be okay?"

 _What if I say no?_ Noriko thought, but quickly shook the idea off and just agreed to be hazed. Yoshino smiled at the nod from the brunette, "full name, please," The feisty Yellow Rose started right away.

"Nijou Noriko."

"Age?"

"Nineteen."

"Major in uni?"

"Chemistry."

Yumi made a gag noise, but Yoshino kept a straight face, "Favorite sport?"

"Soccer."

"Favorite drink?"

"Coffee."

" _Favorite_ drink?" Yoshino repeated the question.

It didn't take long for Noriko to catch on, "Imperial Stouts," She answered.

"Favorite food?"

"Rice crackers."

"Favorite hobby!"

"Fixing old things."

Yoshino rested her elbows on the kitchen island, clasping her hands and leaning toward the brunette, "Boys or girls?"

All giggles subsided, then the room was filled with the sound of a twist-top being opened, then a beer bottle appeared in front of Noriko, and another was placed on the kitchen island in front of Yoshino.

Noriko took a first sip of the light beer, "boys," she took another drink and before Yoshino spoke again, she continued, "and girls."

"Smart girl." Youko chuckled.

"Now, the last and most important questions." Yoshino started, leaning as close as she could to her new friend, "Red, yellow or white?"

Noriko didn't think anything of the question, though to the other girls, those colors represented so much more than a simple preference.

"White." The brunette answered and automatically was booed by the entirety of the room save for Kanako, who just laughed at the young women around her: such respectful ladies, but so competitive and such girls!

Just then, understanding dawned on her, "Ah! The Roses!"

"That took a while…" Touko snickered.

"Ah! But you can't expect me to be as sharp as you guys! You grew up together."

"You're off the hook, Noriko-chan." Rei came to the rescue.

"For now…" Touko chuckled, then walked by the brunette heading toward the cooler. The Red Rose brought a bottle of wine back to the counter, opened it and poured two glasses of the red drink. She sat one of the glasses by Youko and kept the other one, then she walked back to the cooler. She returned the bottle to the ice and pulled a can of beer from it, taking it to Kanako before announcing, "I'm going up to unpack." She lifted her glass in cheers then proceeded to walk out of the kitchen.

"I guess I'll go up as well." Kanako said, following Touko.

"How about you show Noriko upstairs, Yumi?" Sachiko asked.

"Hai."

"We can get the couch ready in the study so you don't have to worry about it later…" Yumi picked up her and Noriko's bag and headed upstairs.

Yoshino tossed her bottle into the recycling bin, picked up another beer, grabbed Rei and Nana by the hand and walked out with the two Yellow Roses, leaving Sachiko and Youko alone in the kitchen.

"How about you bring that bottle back up here, pour yourself a glass and leave the rest to warm up so I can use it in my sauce?"

Sachiko grabbed the bottle and did as the older girl asked. "Onee-sama…"

"What is it Sachiko?"

Something was off; whether Youko had forgotten something important in the city or she was hiding something, Sachiko knew something was going on with her dear friend. "What do you need chopped?" The heiress grabbed a chopping block from behind the microwave and sat it by the sink. "I'll be your sous chef."

"Onions and garlic for now. I'll take care of the tomatoes."

The fridge door opened and closed and Sachiko sat two onions by the cutting board. Then the heiress walked behind Youko to grab a head of garlic from a bag on the counter. On her way back, as Sachiko was walking behind Youko again, she whispered, "Onee-sama's here but her mind is elsewhere."

"Sachiko-chan."

"You shouldn't Sachiko-chan me."

"Then you shouldn't pry."

"I wasn't prying. You look…"

"I look?"

"I can't explain quite properly, but you have this look."

At times the heart feels and the eyes can't hide. As much as Youko wanted to keep the conversation she had earlier that day with Sei to herself, her body wanted otherwise. The side-effects of a heart ready to explode from happiness couldn't just be hidden.

"O-okay. I have a look. You'll either have to be more specific about things or I won't be able to help you, Sachiko-chan. Now cut the onions, sous chef."

###

Onions were finally in the pot, Nana, and Touko had come in to the kitchen at least twice to replenish drinks. Youko had peeled, seeded and processed the tomatoes and the garlic smell had taken over the house. She poured the wine into her sauce, waited until it started to boil again, then she covered the pot and turned the heat down. It was all a matter of time until it was ready to be eaten.

When Sachiko and Youko finally stepped into the living room, Noriko was pulling card from a deck placed on the coffee table. The game looked intense, each one of the girls hiding their cards and reordering them within their hands like they needed it in order to survive, then after a while, "Play already, Rei-chan!"

Rei looked around then played her hand.

And it beat everyone's.

"What the hell?!"

"Sorry, Yoshino-chan…" Rei watched the energetic Yoshino stand up and walk away mumbling obscenities. And like the proper ladies they were, the girls waited until Yoshino had completely left the living room to burst into laughter.

When Yoshino came back into the living room, the laughter died at once.

It wasn't because the Yellow Rose would have gotten embarrassed if the girls had kept on mocking her, the reason for the silence lay behind Yoshino.

"Sei-sama!"

"Sei-sama!"

"Sei-sama!"

"Se—"

The blonde hadn't been to that house in a long time. Everybody knew that Sei had chosen not to be part of the trips to the lake not only to respect Youko, but also to protect her own heart. To the once Rosa Gigantea, being around Youko when the brunette was clearly avoiding her, was to dig the knife even deeper into her chest. So for Sei to be standing in front of the girls in the middle of that living room, holding an unopened can of beer, was a bit surreal.

"I figured you guys had made enough food for one more. You clearly have enough booze to kill a rugby team…"

Within the four walls of that living room, with all of her friends around her, Youko only had eyes for Sei. And the brunette didn't try to avoid the eye contact like all of the other times when Sei happened to be around. Youko didn't quickly leave the room throwing a truck full of excuses at her friends in hopes no one picked up on the fact that Sei was the reason why Rosa Chinensis couldn't stick around for another round of beers or for another slice of pizza. At that moment there were just two chocolate orbs watching Sei's every move as the blonde made her rounds hugging her friends and introducing herself to Noriko.

"Hello." Sei finally grabbed Youko by the hands and brought her into a tight hug, "Good to see you." And the blonde's lips found the brunette's right cheek, making Youko's voice falter, "H-hello," Youko managed with difficulty.

Yumi looked at Sei and pointed at her watch prompting Sei to took at her friends once again, "Todou-sama had me run an errand for him… I would have gotten here much earlier but the guy I had to do business with to was… a bit of a talker to say the least."

"…"

"Look," Sei started again, extending her arm forward in a 'stop' gesture as if asking her friends for time to articulate the explanation for being there. She inhaled deeply, then spoke, "We grew up together and I pride myself in saying that you are my family. Many of you have been there for me through thick and thin, and all of you have been a huge part of my life for as long as I know who I am." Sei was speaking from the heart: she knew those girls' families, their entire history, their struggles, their dreams, and first and foremost their hearts. "And truthfully, I wouldn't have it any other way." She smiled shyly. "I believe that because we have such a close relationship, I couldn't wait to talk to each of you individually, and I figured this would be the perfect time to do something I've been meaning to for years."

And so, Sei stood in front of Youko. She carefully brushed dark strands of hair behind her ear and cupped her cheek so tenderly, the butterflies in Youko's chest went wild. The blonde took a step closer to her Rosa Chinensis, then another one, and yet another one, only stopping when she couldn't get any closer. Right then, Youko felt Sei's breath tickle her lips, and the smell of peppermint gum flooded her mind with memories of so many Yamayurikai meetings when Youko's nostrils couldn't help but take in Sei's breath when the blonde stood a bit too close to her.

Without asking for permission, though slowly as to make sure Rosa Chinensis was carving that moment on all corners of her memories, Sei's lips claimed Youko's, carefully though zealously, making the brunette wrap her arms around Sei's waist so to avoid melting onto the floor. The two girls stood there with locked lips for what felt like a long minute, none of them wanting to break free from the other. However, since the audience had exploded in cheers, the two former Roses had to end the endearing gesture. Tough, even after the parting, Youko still felt the tingle and the sweetness of the peppermint on her lips – a wonderful reminder of what had just finally happened.

"I couldn't wait. I'm sorry if this was too mu—"

"I'm so glad you're here..."

"Hey!" Yoshino chided, "We're here, too!" When the two girls turned to face Yoshino, the younger girl spoke again, "The heck?"

"Oh. Yeah. Of course…" Sei scratched the back of her head, a deep blush on her cheeks, "Youko thought it would be a good idea if I showed up once in a while and kissed her in front of everyone. No biggie."

"Sei!"

"Okay, okay, okay! You guys are lame! We… haven't discussed this much in detail yet but—"

In order to save Sei from further interrogation, Youko interrupted the blonde's attempt to an explanation – although, in all honesty, explanations weren't necessary. Whether their relationship was a byproduct of the realization that years of friendship shouldn't be allowed to go down the drain so easily, or that their connection had to be almost completely severed in order for both girls to understand that being apart meant losing their own heart; whatever the reason was, at that moment, it didn't really matter. However, Youko knew her friends deserved at least a few words.

"I think what happened was that for a long time Sei and I were under the impression that if either one of us talked about our feelings, our friendship would come to an end. Leaving things unsaid was a mistake that had a tremendous toll on the both of us." Youko knew that the years of silence between Sei and her had affected their friends immensely as well; that was an unspoken truth – and another explanation which was unnecessary at that moment. "As far as where this is going to go from here on, we know as much as you do at the moment, so please, be patient with us like you were with Sachiko and Yumi."

"So… You guys are an item..." Yoshino couldn't help it, and Sei was okay with the questions, "We're whatever you want to call us." And the blonde was being as truthful as she could, all that mattered to her right at that second was the fact that she was happy. After so many years scrambling to understand herself and fighting not to lose sight of her friends, it was nice to be able to finally have what Sei had wanted for so long.

The friends sat in the living room looking at both Youko and Sei who just stood there close to one another. In their own way, the girls thanked Maria-sama for bringing solace to those two hearts which needed it so much. "Ok, then." Yoshino smiled. There was no need for more questions. If there was anyone in the face of the Earth who was able to take care of Youko's heart, the girls knew that person was Sei.

###

Dinner was served and the girls stopped counting the wine bottles by the time Rei opened number seven. Noriko was happy that Sei and Youko had stolen the spotlight and had allowed the younger girl to just sit back and watch the interactions amongst old friends. Just by listening she was able to put pieces of the relationships together; times, the girls allowed her to delve much deeper into their past than she ever thought she would have been able to – ever. She learned a bit more about Yumi and her connection with Sachiko, about Rei and Yoshino's plans for after university, about a certain Rosa Canina who was overseas but had plans of returning in the near future, and about Sei's petite soeur, who for some strange reason had gone away to live with nuns at the Trappistine Convent, in an attempt to see if the Cloister was really her calling. Apparently, there was a lot of pleading involved from the girls, but in the end, Rosa Gigantea had it her way, leaving her entire life behind. Sei was happy that the girl had finally come to her senses and decided it was time to "cut the crap and come back to suffer with us like normal people do." They just didn't know exactly when that would happen.

When night came, some of the girls gathered around a coffee table in the living room, a deck of cards neatly fanned out in a perfect circle surrounded a can of beer.

"Don't break the circle, Nana-chan!" Rei chucked when the youngest of the Yellow Roses reached for the cards.

"Ha! Don't you worry, Rei-sama! And before you take a sip out of your drink, don't forget to remove the little man from the rim."

"What?"

"Rule master!" Nana placed her card facing up atop of all of the other discarded ones.

Sachiko came back from the kitchen just in time to watch Rei remove the imaginary little man from the rim of her can, take a sip and return him back to his place. The heiress chuckled; Rei could be such a serious girl at times and to see the blonde smiling from ear to ear without being burdened by worry was a relief. Even after so many years Sachiko couldn't help but to send Maria-sama a quick thank-you prayer for giving Yoshino the strength to go through heart surgery without many complications. With a smirk still adorning her lips, Sachiko sat by Yumi as she reached for the cards.

"Waterfall!" Yumi giggled, and the instant the brunette's voice reached Sachiko's ears, the butterflies, hibernating within the heiress' chest awoke with such a force that Sachiko sat there staring at the girl in front of her for a while, baffled by the fact that just a smile from the brunette could still make her knees buckle.

" You pulled the Ace, you have to start it!" And for the entirety of that waterfall, Sachiko only saw Yumi.

Breaking the circle of death was a feat which Yoshino endured with pride, chugging the King's beer like a true royal Rose. While the King's beer was being replenished and Kanako took a well-deserved restroom break, Noriko decided to step out to the porch to call Sumireko and let her know things were going well and she wouldn't need her aunt to pick her up.

On her way back in, she heard giggles coming from the side of the house, and then two Roses, one white and one red awkwardly made their way toward the porch.

"Noriko-chan! Whatcha doing out here all alone?" Sei said as she watched Youko sneak into the house without saying a word.

"I was calling my aunt to let her know no one has stolen my kidneys yet."

"Ah! That's later, though!"

Noriko chuckled.

"So, Noriko-chan." Sei sat on the railing and reached for her pocket. "Do you mind if I…" the blonde unveiled a baggie with three neatly rolled joints in it.

"Not at all." Noriko responded. And just like that, the White Rose lit up the hand-made cigarillo and took a drag; the smell reaching the younger girl's nose immediately after Sei had exhaled. When the blonde handed the joint to Noriko, she picked it up without hesitating and brought it to her mouth. Takuya flashed on the girl's mind, teaching her how to cut the leaves and properly roll the cigs – it was nice to have older friends like the pedo-Takuya-kun. Everything he would have Noriko try was weirdly approached with the scientific method in mind: developing a hypothesis then testing it to see if one could nullify it. And that scent, so familiar to Noriko was enough to create this instant connection with the boisterous blond sitting in front of her.

Sei looked straight at Noriko for a quick second then questioned the younger girl, "Have we met before?"

"I… don't believe so." Noriko handed the joint back to Sei.

"Perhaps another life?" Sei puffed and smiled brightly as she exhaled, and the gesture was contagious, "Perhaps." Noriko answered, a strange nostalgia overflowing from her voice.

"You know…" Sei started, then passed the joint to Noriko.

"Hm?" Noriko dragged.

"Yumi must have seen something very special in you."

"Pardon me?" Noriko coughed at the weird statement, "here…" she handed Sei the joint, "it's all yours now, thank you for sharing."

"I don't know if you knew… but Yumi is not known to go out of the way very much for people she doesn't know. For her to bring you along for the weekend must mean you have a super power of some sort."

"I've no super powers, Satou-sama."

"Oh. For the love of Buddha, we're all friends here, call me Sei."

"No super powers here, Sei-sama."

"Well, she tells me otherwise."

"She tells you?"

"What? Do you not think Yumi-chan and I could be good friends?"

"Oh no. I'm not doubting you…"

"Okay?" Sei finished the joint.

"Don't get me wrong, I know nothing about you… but just by watching you interact with everyone, it's easy to see why Yumi would drift toward you."

At Sei's questioning look, Noriko continued, "You're honest and you're sensitive to things people tend to overlook. You're quiet for the most part, but you're still opinionated without being overbearing."

"Hm."

"What?"

"Yumi-chan did a good job." The blonde mumbled.

"A good job?"

"Finding you."

"O-okay…"

Before Sei could explain herself, Yumi walked out with Sachiko. "Are you holding the kid hostage, Satou-san?" The heiress joked.

"Just waiting for you to bring the knife so we get her organs out, Sachan."

"Stop scaring her, Sei." Yumi came to the rescue.

"You know, I was going in anyway," Sei jump off the rail. "You kids have too much energy." And toward the door the blonde went; however, before she actually walked in and headed toward the living room to join Youko and the others, she turned to Noriko, "Welcome to the family, Noriko-chan."

Although the darkness hid the blush which adorned Noriko's face, the warmth she felt within her chest brought a shy smile to her lips.

"Sachiko, do you need a refill?" Yumi asked and receiving a nod, she reached for the raven-haired girl's almost empty wine glass. "Should I beer you, Riko-chan?"

"Hai." _Riko-chan_ , the endearing nickname, until then only used by Sumireko and Takuya, sounded so familiar it was as if Noriko had introduced herself as such when they first met.

When the door closed, Sachiko finally addressed the younger girl for the first time that day. "I hope Sei didn't scare you with that knife comment. She can get carried away at times."

"She's a good woman, Ogasawara-sama. There's no need to worry."

"Noriko-chan." The heiress' tone of voice had completely changed from apologetic to serious, "As much as many of us try to forget our upbringing, Lillian had a large influence in the way we carry ourselves."

"I… see." Noriko was surprised that Sachiko was clearly attempting to apologize for Sei's unorthodox behavior. Though when the heiress continued on, the younger girl found herself not understanding very much what Sachiko meant when she said, "And because many of us have attended Lillian from middle school all the way to high school, some traditions have been deeply embedded in us."

"Like you, my aunt attended Lillian, and even though it was many decades ago, she has told me about some of the traditions." Although Noriko wasn't sure where Sachiko was going with her speech, she tried to make the heiress see she wasn't in the dark about Lillian's customs.

"I see," Sachiko started, "Then I hope she has explained to you that we were brought up by nuns in the most appropriate of ways. Their main goal was to mold us into the most proper maidens." There it was; what Noriko was dreading the most: Ogasawara Sachiko telling her that she wasn't dignifying enough to be around the _proper maidens,_ right after one of those maidens had shared a joint with her – how fucking fitting.

Noriko grabbed her phone from her pocket and was ready to redial Sumireko's number to tell the woman she had been wrong all along and that she needed a ride home after all, when Sachiko spoke again, "If you're planning on sticking around, which I hope you do because Yumi seems to like you tremendously, you'll need to drop the propriety of calling us by our last names."

"wha— hai…" was all Noriko could manage to mumble.

"Secondly, you'll need to stop thinking we grew up to be perfect women, because honestly we are as flawed as anyone our age. You need not think that we led a life free of conflicts and miscommunications at Lillian. Like I said before, we are by no means perfect in any way shape or form – case in point, Sei and Youko's relationship…"

"Hai…"

"You'll come to learn many stories about the Yamayurikai and you'll understand why I am telling you that we are not, never were and will never be perfect maidens. So, please, don't ever think that you cannot be part of this group for the simple fact that you didn't grow up with our tantrums and freak-outs," Sachiko was referring to what Noriko had said when Yoshino had interrogated her earlier that day. "Because, I'm going to warn you right now: there are more to come, we are a family, after all."

"Sa-Sachiko-sama…" Noriko's eyes filled with tears. "Thank you…" She smiled, and

Sachiko held on to Noriko's left shoulder, "We're—"

"Booze!" Yumi interrupted. "Oh. You two look weird…"

"I was just telling Noriko that we're all very glad she's here."

"Ah! Yeah! Noriko-chan, everybody really likes you, even Touko-chan."

"And Touko is a hard one to please." Sachiko was being way too nice.

"At least Ka-Kanako-san does a pretty good job at containing that storm." Noriko smiled. "I am really glad you invited me to join you today, Y-Yumi-sama." Calling the girl by her first name felt weird, but she knew if she kept trying that task would at some point become easier to accomplish.


	7. Everyone's got Something

A/N: Thanks for reading and stay warm! :)

* * *

"Welcome back to civilization!" Yumi turned to Noriko when the younger girl closed the passenger door of Sei's car. Yumi didn't let Noriko argue with her when she told her new friend she'd pick her up from the airport since Sumireko couldn't get off work.

"Where's Sei-sama?"

It only took a one-eyebrow raise to answer Noriko's question at once, "Oh. Oh. Ooooh!"

"It was about time those two went on an actual date."

"And Youko-sama is picking her up?"

"Funny how things work with them, right?"

"Good for Youko-sama, though."

"Sei has liked her for a very long time. She'll do whatever Youko-sama wants her to do..."

"Does that not worry you?"

"What, Sei?"

Noriko wondered for a second whether she was prying too much into the life of the blonde, "Y-yes…" she said with downcast eyes, and immediately regretted opening her mouth, never seeing Yumi bite her bottom lip in deep thought like she was doing before.

"You know…" Yumi smiled, "It's not like Sei has had a hard childhood or anything like that, but her heart had it tougher than any one of ours." Yumi trusted Noriko, liked the girl, had a feeling she'd be around for a while, and because of that, Yumi felt as if she had the right to know a bit more about Satou Sei. "We all have our Kryptonite and Kubo Shiori was Sei's."

"Kubo Shi-Shiori…" Noriko repeated, the name sticking to the girl's tongue like a curse.

"I was never able to meet Shiori-san," Yumi started a bit hesitant, but continued nonetheless, "and I don't even know what she looks like even thought Sei has described her to me several times." Deep inside Yumi thought it was better to keep Shiori as an abstract idea, a fabrication created by Sei's wildest imaginations. "In any case, Sei met Shiori-san at Lillian during a time in her life where all of her feelings had been boxed up for far too long then shook like a Champaign bottle on New Year's Eve. Before the bottle exploded, Shiori-san pressed the lid back into its place and was able to calm the storm that was building up inside of Sei – That was the worst thing that anyone could have ever done to Rosa Gigantea…" Knowing well enough that at times, life just needed to follow its course, and that thunderstorms had to happen before light could be seen again, Yumi would blame Kubo Shiori, as long as she lived, for breaking her best friend's heart the way she did. "When Sei falls, she falls; hard, completely, with no shame, going two hundred kilometers-an-hour down the sharpest dips, no breaks allowed. That time wasn't different, and Sei let go of everything just to be with Shiori-san. And I really want to believe she was happy for a while. The problem was that Shiori-san never told Sei, she was getting ready to become a nun."

"You're kidding!" Noriko shook her head.

"Do you think I could make this stuff up? When Sei learned that Shiori-san was about to become a nun, she tried to change her mind, and she thought she had done it until Shiori-san promised she'd run away with Sei, then left her waiting at a train station for five hours the day before her birthday… and that was also the day before Christmas."

"Yumi-sama…"

"I'm seriously not making this up…"

"… I'm so sorry."

"You don't need to apologize to me. I wasn't the one who got their heart broken… Sachan has always been quite straightforward with me – from the very beginning, actually. It just took me a long time to realize that everything she did, she did because she truly wanted to get closer to me."

"Sachiko-sama saw the good in you even when you weren't able to see it yourself…"

"You're… right." Yumi looked at Noriko, a bright smile on her face, then went back to look at the road, "At times it's hard to remember that crappy things happen to good people and that we just have to take the hit and try to move along…"

"…"

"And you know, you just have to let people heal at their own pace while they're trying to move on." Yumi knew that people had their own self-healing time; some were quick at mending what was broken, others had to really work at it before they were finally ready to face the world again. "It took Sei a while to put herself back together. We're all just really glad she's better. We were worried for a long time."

"But… moving on is hard work..." Noriko mumbled discouraged.

"You tell me?" Yumi took another quick look at her friend. "I… was a bit ill when I was younger and that made me angry at doctors, my parents, my brother…" she sighed before continuing, "I was angry at everybody… including Sachan.

"Oh…"

"We all have baggage, Noriko-chan. And that's okay."

"I can't imagine you being mad at anyone."

A long laugh escaped Yumi's lips before she answered, "For some reason, Maria-sama spared you from it."

"But I am in the dark about so much!"

"That's the beauty of things!"

"…"

The openness with which Yumi spoke with, in her mind, simply touching the surface of tales of a past not too far from that second; weighed heavily in Noriko's mind, not because Noriko felt unworthy of learning about growing up with those girls, but because perhaps, in a parallel universe, she could've been there, living through the ups and downs instead of just listening to those stories.

"I'm serious!" Yumi had parked the car in front of Sumireko's home, but felt no need to rush out of it, "You see me as who I am today, which is the true me. And what you saw the other week was the true Sei… The same way I learned about Sei's past, you'll learn about who we were once. So long as you stick around for a while, things will come up and you'll hear the same stories a million times coming from different perspectives and you'll end up discovering more than you wish to."

"Yumi-sama…" Noriko's heart felt heavy and light at the same time, such a discrepancy of feelings started at her belly, traveling through her chest and all at once, at full force, threated to explode in her throat. Noriko reached for Yumi's shoulder, and with much difficulty she managed a "Thank you." When Yumi placed her hand atop of Noriko's for reassurance, all of that heaviness disappeared from the young girl's chest at once.

"I've never had this before." Noriko thanked Yumi again quietly.

"Oh. Don't even!"

"I-I'll make you a cup of tea if you have time to come in."

"Of course!" Yumi looked at her watch, "I can't pick up Sachan for another four hours."

"And Touko-san?"

"With Kanako until the weekend."

Noriko smiled a lopsided smile, "Really?" She then opened the door and allowed Yumi to step in.

"Hah! C'mon, everything in its own time, Noriko. You can't rush those things. Plus… Touko is as dense as they come."

"She seems very straightforward to me."

"Don't let the those perfect curls betray you. She's like an onion, full of layers hidden inside one another. She might seem calm and composed, but inside she's just like us; full of insecurities."

"I see." Noriko had started the electric kettle.

"Now..."

"Yes?"

"Don't think I'm letting you off the hook."

"…"

"You!" Yumi couldn't help but smile, "Ditched us to go in an ultra-secretive mission!"

"I-It was a work mission…"

"And you work for?"

"… A friend of mine…"

"A friend, huh?" Yumi winked.

"Oooooh, please! Yumi-sama, that's not… that's just… No."

"Does this friend have a name?"

"T-Takuya-san." Noriko said quickly before dumping hot water into a ceramic teapot, then methodically sprinkling leaves on top of the water before closing the lid and letting the tea steep.

"Takuya…. Takuya… Takuya." Yumi repeated the name out loud, then "Whoa! Takuya-kun as in the Buddhist blogger Shimura Takuya-sama?!"

"You've read his stuff?"

"I've heard his name many times before. Apparently he is a friend of our friend's father who is a Buddhist Priest."

"Oh…"

"His shrine is about an hour from here. I can arrange a visit if you'd like to see it."

"I don't know, Yumi-sama." For some reason Noriko was hesitant to tell Yumi that she wasn't ready to step foot inside a shrine or to go looking for Buddhist statues like she did when she was younger. Takuya had waited almost two years after the girl had missed the Kannon statue to share with the younger girl the fact that he could arrange for her to see the statue of Maitreya by Yuukai –Noriko's favorite sculptor, though Noriko refused the offer. You see, the brunette had completely abandoned her hobby of viewing Buddhist statues when the Kannon statue debacle happened before the beginning of high school. Noriko felt as if she could have made it from Kyoto back to Tokyo in time for her entrance exam, but she decided to play safe for her future's sake. The truth of the matter was that Noriko could've indeed made it back to Tokyo on time had she tried – even the weather was surprisingly mild during that winter, so train travel would have not been an issue.

It was a shame she didn't try.

"No pressure. The offer will always be there. "Plus, Sei is there fairly often."

The sun shone brightly through the windows of Sumireko's house illuminating the kitchen without the need for artificial brightness of light bulbs. Sumireko's home warmed Noriko's heart, it was the way the walls looked when the sun was setting, the way it felt when she'd walk in after school –simple, ever so comfortable– and how each room smelled with its subtle distinctions: sandalwood, wormwood, lavender. Though most of all, at that second, Noriko loved that house even more because Yumi was there with her. As she poured Yumi and then herself a cup of tea she was finally realizing that loneliness was no more.

One sip of the tea and Yumi was impressed with Noriko's brewing abilities, "Delicious!"

"Thank you," Noriko answered.

"Noriko-chan…"

"H-hai."

"Why Furano?"

The lightest of the chuckles escaped from Noriko's lips, more like a sigh of relief for thinking Yumi could had ever said anything which would hurt the younger girl. "Takuya-kun broke his leg parasailing. Since he had arrangements in Furano to cover the flower season, he sent me on his behalf. Plus…" she blushed slightly, "he said the flowers were gorgeous and I need to see them for myself… I'm sorry if I worried you."

"So... You went to see the flowers?"

Noriko shook her head yes, "And take pictures."

"Did he tell you to write a blog entry, too?"

She shook her head yes, again.

"Can I read it?"

"Really?"

"Are you kidding me? Of course I want to read it!"

"Yumi-sama…"

"How about we start with pictures?" Yumi asked.

"Hai." Pulling the camera from its bag, Noriko handed the machine to Yumi who carefully turned it on and waited for Noriko to sit by her before she started to flip to the next shot.

"These are gorgeous!" Yumi moved slowly through the shots, some blurry others shaky, but many flawlessly clear: yellow, orange, purple and red rows of flowers perfectly aligned; a bright rainbow covering kilometers of ground. Takuya was right by making Noriko go and see for herself what a beautiful thing those fields of flowers were.

Once Yumi had gone through the pictures, Noriko brought her laptop over and sat it in front of her friend. She then picked up her and Yumi's tea cups and headed to the kitchen counter for a refill – to allow Yumi to read the short article on her own speed. Also, because Noriko felt just a bit insecure about her writing abilities; nevertheless, she trusted Yumi not to judge.

"Noriko-san," Yumi lifted her head from the computer screen and smiled after she was done reading, "Can you tell me more about Furano?"

###

Nice to meet you, Furano, may I see you again?

By Riko-chan, Takuya-kun's Right Hand in Chief

Updated XX:XX PM, Wed July XX, XXX

Furano. I had never thought my eyes would long to look at your fields of sunflowers in the heat of the summer at least once more. My heart overflows with feelings I cannot explain through my lacking vocabulary, thought it is as if your grace merely grazed upon my soul and yet, completely changed the way my body perceives things: colors, flavors, light, darkness, textures and everything in between.

I return to Tokyo already homesick for you, your kindness and the strength you exude in the most delicate of ways. I wish I could have asked you where you had been all of these years; however, the only question I have is for myself: Why have I been buried with eyes closed for this long?

Hokkaido is indeed a beautiful place, but you, Furano, are responsible for my most wonderful dreams. Your lavender fields radiate the most extraordinary of the scents, covering the entire town with a blanket of freshness; from the moment my feet left the train which brought me to you, and landed on your soil, my nostrils were in complete awe. If I close my eyes right now, I can still feel the most miniscule traces of your fragrance.

You have been branded in my soul like a forbidden adoration, like off-limit lips; yet, my heart falls in the depths of love for you and my mouth burns in desperation for the solace which only Love's mouth can provide it with.

How can anyone not watch the sun rise from behind your mountains, Furano, and not want to give you all of their heart to you, just like that, without even knowing you, or learning about your upbringing, your parents' over-protectiveness, your stupid high school friends, about your dreams, your deepest fears and your most unbearable flaws? – As if such a thing even exists. Still, your humbleness kept me at bay, silencing my confession. You don't believe in love at first sight, you eluded; such things are a privilege you do not allow yourself to have, you concluded. Though, by the time you had disappointed me with your ground rules, my heart was already yours.


	8. Careful Now

A/N: Happy New Year's Eve to everybody! I'm welcoming 2017 with the skepticism of a scaredy-cat and very low expectations.

I hope you are still enjoying this thing here... We're going back in time again, you ready?

Cheers!

* * *

"Yu-mi-chan!" Sei and Tsutako peaked around the corner of the gym, finding Shimako and Yumi having lunch all the while avoiding the girls from Lillian's Newspaper.

"Hai…" Yumi anwered.

"I see that Lillian Kawaraban was quick to get the name of the first-year who rejected Rosa Chinensis en bouton's rosary…"

"Yumi didn't really want to hide, Onee-sama."

"Nothing I couldn't have taken care of…"

"Oh, yeah, Yumi-chan?" Sei chuckled, "because you're so good at handling conflict..."

Yumi opened her mouth to rebuke Sei's comment, but quickly decided not to. Perhaps it was best if she stayed quiet for once.

"There's no need for you to be shy, Yumi-chan!" Sei brought a hand to her chest, covering her heart, "You already like me enough that I know you're not going to say or do anything that would hurt my feelings."

"Onee-sama…" Shimako smiled. The blonde could be too much at times.

"In any case, I'm here because I wanted to give you this," Sei handed a pink booklet to Yumi. "Sachiko highlighted the lines for you," the blonde finished.

The heiress' first and last names had been neatly written at the bottom of the cover, when Yumi opened the booklet, all of Sister B's lines were highlighted in pink, Cinderella's lines were highlighted in yellow. The brunette looked at all of the pages quickly, before closing the book and looking at Sei.

"What is this?"

"Sachiko wanted you to have it…"

"And she sent you here to do the dirty work for her?"

"Yumi-chan… I thought you wouldn't hurt my feelings!"

"I'm… just asking a questions, Sei-sama."

"You know, you're too quick to judge," Sei approached the two girls who were still sitting on the steps which led to the back door of the gym. Then, the blonde sat between the two first-years, silently taking the book from Yumi and mindlessly flipping through the pages, "Yes, Sachiko asked me to give the book to you…"

"…"

"However…" Sei paused to look at Yumi, "she had her reasons to ask me to come see you."

"And those reasons were?"

Before answering Yumi's question, Sei stood and handed the booklet back to the brunette, "That, you're gonna have to ask Sachan, yourself. We're meeting to go over the ballroom scene after class, here in the gym. Be there or be square, Yumi-chan." And just like that, Sei waved a hand goodbye and walked away with Tsutako.

There was silence between Rosa Gigantea en bouton and Yumi for a long time. Shimako couldn't be more okay with the stillness, she had always been one of few words and at that minute she knew Yumi needed some time to soak in Sei's sudden appearance and the fact that the girl had been abruptly thrown into a Yamayurikai play.

"Do they always do that?" was the pressing questions which broke the long silence between the two first-years.

"That?"

"Have people do things for them…"

For Yumi's surpise Shimako chuckled, bringing her hand to cover her lips like that was an act which needed punishment, "They… like to meddle in the most caring way possible. I must warn you, Yumi-san, I know you might be thinking you can get away, but you're already knees deep in this."

Shimako turned toward Yumi without uttering another word until Yumi finally faced the girl with gray eyes, then it happened: a smile, one which Yumi hadn't seen yet, and Yumi, little by little, was realizing that Shimako, as laconic and distant as she might have seemed, was simply hiding a warmth so contagious Yumi thought, perhaps, being part of the Yamayurikai wasn't half as bad as she might have thought.

"You're…" Yumi started.

"I am?"

"How the heck did Sei-sama make you her petite soeur?!"

Shimako looked at Yumi, her face back to being collected, "I know it may not look like it, but we have a lot in common. It's… interesting…we haven't been soeurs for long, but I have learned to love her with all of my heart already and I feel like Sei feels the same toward me…"

"Sei…" Yumi didn't let the slip go unnoticed, making Shimako blush before continuing, "Onee-sama doesn't have to say a thing when we're together, and yet, every time we meet, my heart feels in peace; like it finally found a place it belongs. I'm blessed I have her in my life."

And there it was again, the smile and the warmth along with the sweetest of the explanations to why Shimako chose Satou Sei to be her Onee-sama. And the choice had indeed been made by the en bouton, not the other way around. Granted, the older Roses had done everything in their power to make Sei choose Shimako; nevertheless, the current Rosa Gigantea en bouton could have refused Sei's rosary the same way she had refused Sachiko's that same week. Though, declining to become Sei's petite soeur was denying herself the right to feel okay with the life she decided to lead, denying to have someone who accepted her for who she was, regardless of what that entailed.

"You might think you're different than Sachiko-sama in many aspects, but I think you should get to know her first before assuming she's a certain way."

"…"

Shimako packed up her bento and stood up, "We should go back now."

"Shimako-san…"

The honey-colored-hair girl turned her head to answer, "Yes."

"Do you think we can have lunch here again tomorrow?"

A quick nod from Shimako was all Yumi needed at that point. The brunette wondered in what ways Shimako could have been similar to Sei, but concluded that she didn't have the right to ask such a personal question. Plus, Shimako seemed to have the maturity Sei lacked –maybe that's how they balanced each other so gracefully, even though on the outside the differences appeared disparate.

 _I think you should get to know her first before assuming she's a certain way_. Maybe someone told Shimako the same thing when she was faced with the difficult decision to choose between Sachiko and Sei as a grand seour. Who knows…

###

"You ready, Yumi-san?" Tsutako asked, while gathering the trash bags from the music room.

"I'm going to stick around for a little longer, if you guys want to, I can take the logbook back to administration."

"But… What about our agreement?" Tsutako asked.

"I'm just taking the logbook back… you still need to clean for me."

"Oh…"

Yumi watched her classmates walk out of the music room and Tsutako close the door behind her, leaving the brunette by herself. Yumi thought that if the school Newspaper was still trying to find her, they were doing a pretty poor job at it; in any case, just as a protection measure, she decided to wait until club members left school before she headed home.

She finished filling out the logbook and took a cleaning cloth to the piano that was timidly sitting in a corner of the room. Yumi wiped down the lid carefully, then propped it open so she could clean its perimeter. Cautiously closing the lid, she moved toward the music rack, then wiped down the top of the fallboard and finally the bench before she sat down, mindlessly pressing down on the pedals.

The brunette looked at her bag and thought about the book which had been carefully stored so no dents or folds could happen to it before she gave it back to Sachiko. She looked at he watch, the rehearsal had already started and since she was safely hiding, she felt as thought she had finally dodged the Yamayurikai – _Shimako was wrong_ , Yumi thought she wasn't knees-deep into the mess, after all.

The brunette opened the piano's fallboard and looked at the keys. Yumi wasn't the best piano player, she always thought string instruments were much more melodious, though the ivory keys begged to be touched, and the young girl granted the piano's wish. One at the time, Yumi's fingers landed on the keys with all of the care in the world. _Twinkle twinkle little star_ , she sang inwardly and smiled. Then the room was silent once again as Yumi removed her fingers from the instrument and settle them atop of her lap. Dozen of scores rushed the girl's mind at that moment making Yumi feel a strange nostalgia and a force pulling her fingers back toward the ivory; so she straightened her back and brought her hands forward again. Rusty fingers slowly filled the room with the melancholic intro to I Due Fiume.

Yumi had taken piano lessons for years, and for years she had wondered why her version of that song had never sounded as good as her teacher's. The winter she decided she didn't want to play any longer, she also mustered the courage to ask her teacher what she was doing wrong when playing the piece, and the response Yumi received was lackluster to say the least: "the answer lies within the title itself, Yumi-chan."

 _Two rivers_ , Yumi thought. What's in two rivers?

The mezzo forte had returned to quiet when a hand touched Yumi's shoulder, igniting a shriek from Yumi's mouth and a terribly loud noise from the pianos' keys which were mercilessly slammed down.

"!"

"If someone heard you screamed that way, I am sure they thought you were being attacked." Sachiko spoke softly when Yumi turned around to face her.

"You scared me! What were you expecting to come out of touching someone who's alone in a room?"

At the "Gomenasai, Yumi-san," which was accompanied by a bow from Sachiko, Yumi raised an eyebrow. Why was Sachiko being so informal with her? "Aren't you supposed to be at the rehersal?" she asked, still wondering why Sachiko didn't use sumimasen deshita.

"I was supposed to, yes, but instead I have spent a half-hour looking for you."

"Looking for me?"

"You are supposed to be rehearsing, too."

"I never said I'd be part of it."

"Did Sei-sama not ask you earlier?"

"She gave me a book with the lines and then walked away."

"You do not say she did not formally ask you?"

"Nope."

"I gave her clear directions to ask you to be part of the play…"

"Well, instead of making people do things for you, your plans would probably be better executed if you could actually do them yourself."

"I…"

"You?"

"I had an emergency I needed to take care of…"

"…"

"Listen…" Sachiko was evasive on purpose, "back in the green house, when I asked you to help with the Yamayurikai I had really meant helping Shimako and Yoshino with the daily errands."

"…But…" Yumi anticipated.

"But… We'd like for you to help us with the play."

"And you automatically assumed I'd say yes…"

"You did not refuse my invitation in the green house..."

"Because I thought I'd be sweeping the Yamayurikai floors for a couple of days until Sei-sama got tired of me and then I could go back to being Fukuzawa Nobody again…"

"Sei-sama can be an oaf at times, but she would never think of someone as expendable."

"Unlike you…" Yumi smile sarcastically.

"I am not like that, Yumi-san…"

Yumi looked at Sachiko, head tilted, one raised eyebrow, "Rosary, stranger, ex-boyfriend bailouts…"

"C-could we just move on, please?" Sachiko was clearly not proud of that moment and she was starting to realize that Yumi was not letting go of the rosary debacle quite yet.

"Whatever you say…"

Sachiko breathed in deeply then reached around Yumi and played a few chord on the piano, "Was this one of the progressions from that song you were playing?"

"Yes."

"Who's the artist?"

"Einaudi," Yumi answered.

After asking for the name of the song, Sachiko pulled a cellphone from her bag and fiddled with it for a second before turning the screen to Yumi, "Is this the score sheet?"

"H-hai."

Sachiko propped her phone on the rack and asked Yumi to play the right hand while she played the left.

"You were doing such a good job. I… just do not want to forget how it feels when somebody else plays it."

"…"

"Please?"

For a split second Yumi thought Sachiko was joking, but as the raven-haired girl rested her right hand on Yumi's shoulder and readied her left on the first chord noted on the score sheet, Yumi realized the second-year really meant the request. If things weren't already feeling quite awkward for Yumi, Sachiko leaned in and whispered, "Ready?" in Yumi's ear, her warm breath covering Yumi in goose bumps.

"Go…"

 _Two rivers_. Try as she might, Yumi still didn't understand. To make things even more difficult, Ogasawara Sachiko breathed in an out in Yumi's ear, "One, two three… One, two three… One two thr—"

"I'm sorry…" Yumi purposefully hit a sharp instead of a flat note right before the song picked up in speed. "It's been so long… I can't keep up anymore," she decided to lie.

"You play most wonderfully."

"Thanks…"

"Yumi-san…"

"Hai."

Sachiko straightened herself up and spoke as clearly as she could, "Yoshino-chan was casted as Sister B, but she has been in and out of the hospital and we are unsure if she will be healthy enough the day of the play…"

"So… you want me to play her part…"

"Yes."

"And why not cast someone else?"

"You can… fit in her costume."

"What about getting Shimako or someone else to play that part?"

Sachiko glanced at Yumi's chest then back at her face, which was adorned with the deepest of blushes.

"I am afraid we would not have time to… make adjustments to the costume…"

"You people baffle me! So you need my flat-chested self to help you…"

"Yes."

"And that's it?"

"That is it."

"No hidden agendas?"

"No."

"No forcing your rosary down my throat?"

Sachiko shook her head no.

"And then, can I go back to not being part of your mess?"

"I suppose… If that is really your wish, of course."

"I'll do it then."

"Thank you, Yumi-san." Sachiko bowed deeply, then closed the fallboard, "Ready?" she asked.

"Ready for what?!"

"Rehearsal."

###

Early in the morning the next day, Yumi spotted several hurdles of girls bouncing excitedly. Under her breath she started to complain, "It's way too early for these girls to be so awa—" then she finally saw what the girls were so giddy about:

 _The Lillian Kawaraban_ Special Edition

EXCLUSIVE: Rosa Chinensis en bouton opens up about her search for a petite soeur

Yumi's blush went unnoticed until Shimazu Yoshino accidentally bumped into the brunette in front of Maria-sama's statue.

Looking at the commotion around them, Yoshiko smiled, "She's something else, isn't she?

"Yes," Yumi's cheeks reddened even more, "she sure is."

###

A week into rehearsals and there Yumi was, dressed as Sister B, watching Kashiwagi Suguru use all of his strength not to let his chivalry mask fall, allowing the flamboyance to come through – not that Yumi care what team Suguru played for anyway.

The second the brunette saw the guy waiting for her in front of the entrance gates of Lillian, she chuckled: he was a perfect match for Sachiko; together they'd be royal douches.

 _Royal douches_ , she chuckled again, looking at the couple dance.

"Can we take five?" Sei asked, "I gotta pee so bad…"

"How about we all take fifteen?" Youko hadn't even closed her mouth and Sachiko was already making her way out of the gym. Yumi watched the awkward commotion from a corner of the room; Rei grabbed the heiress by the arm and whispered something into her ear, and Sachiko forcefully got away from the tight hold and ran out the door with Suguru right behind her.

When half-an-hour had passed and neither Sachiko nor Suguru had returned to the gym, the older Roses decided it was time to divide the group into search parties in order to look for the two main characters of the play.

Out the gym the girls went, running in their costumes toward their designated search spots. Sei, who had stayed behind with Yumi, embraced and held the girl into place right before she began to run toward the door.

"What are you doing? Get off me!" Yumi squirmed in Sei's arms until the question, "Do you like Sachan?" completely threw the girl off guard, making her stop struggling and allowing Sei to tighten her hold.

"What the heck are you talking about?"

"Do. You. Like. Sachan?"

"…Not particularly."

"Then why are you so eager to go look for her?"

"B-because… That's what Youko-sama wants us to do, right?"

"Right…"

"Plus… what if she's hurt?"

"You…" Sei laughed, "are all about keeping Sachan from getting hurt…"

"I… just don't like seeing people suffer for no reason. That's all."

"Then you better get a white horse, kiddo. Sachan loves getting hurt."

"Let me go, Sei-sama!"

"Okay. Okay. Okay!" Sei's lips found Yumi's cheek right before she finally released the brunette.

"What the hell?! Why do you do this?"

"Yumi-chan!" Sei smiled big, "Anyone who could like Sachiko-chan as much as you do is worthy of my adoration."

"Ugh!"

###

The gingko trees had covered the pathways with its nuts, making Sei slip and slide trying to get to the Maria-sama statue after hearing a familiar scream coming from it. When Yumi and Sei finally arrived at the scene, Suguru was already leaning in, ready to take on Sachiko's lips, and while Sei stopped at her tracks at the ridiculous act Suguru had put on, Yumi used her momentum to keep going, crashing onto Suguru with full force.

If Sachiko was worried about not having enough time to make adjustments to one costume, then the Yamayurikai needed to call the whole thing off because Suguru had found himself on its back with Yumi straddling him and readying herself to strike a –well deserved– punch. While perhaps a very expensive dry cleaner would be able to take care of Suguru's clothes, nothing, –not even a ton of make up– would have been able to cover the damage Yumi was about to make to his pretty face.

"Yumi, no!" Sei held the younger girl's arm as it made its way toward Suguru's face.

Then the blonde slipped and fell on her butt.

Costume number three destroyed.

Although Sei tried to keep a straight face, a chuckle came through right in the middle of her "Get off of him, Yumi-chan…" request. Deep inside Sei couldn't help but find the situation hilarious – Youko was right when she said Yumi was the little spice, making things interesting for Sachiko.

And with the commotion led by Yumi, Sachiko simply B-lined toward the nearest building and disappeared –once again.

"It's time you went home, Suguru-san," Rei helped the prince up. "And you, Yumi, go find Sachiko…"

"But…"

"You broke it, you fix it!"

"Fine…" Yumi said, then ran to the complete opposite direction Sachiko had gone earlier. At Rei's concerned look, Sei simply responded, "Kid's smarter than Sachiko, Rei."

###

Before Yumi reached the handle of the green house's door, she took a deep breath wondering why her legs had taken her there. Why not the Rose Mansion? Why not the exit gates?

The door creaked when Yumi opened it, causing Sachiko to ask, "Who is there?"

"It's Yumi." The girl answered quietly.

"What are you doing here?"

"Rei-san told me to come find you."

"…"

"She said "you broke it, you fix it."

"She is an idiot."

"She seems like a good friend to me."

"She… is."

"…"

"Ogasawara-san…" Yumi started, standing in front of the heiress who was sitting on a ledge. The girl waited there awkwardly and almost painfully until Sachiko finally looked up, and those deep blue orbs glimmered in the soft light of that green house, and it was wonderful and sad and yearning for something Yumi couldn't figure out quite yet.

"Give me your rosary," Yumi finally blurted out.

"E-excuse me?"

"Your rosary; let me have it until we're done with the play. Wasn't it the deal you had with the Onee-samas? – that if you found a petite soeur, she would take your place in the play?"

"Yes. That was the deal…"

"Then, give me the rosary and I'll play Cinderella."

"Why?"

"Because all Suguru wants is to toy with you and it's not fair."

"Yumi," Sachiko stood up, facing the brunette. The heiress then reached for her rosary, which was neatly hidden under her sailor collar, and looking at it she spoke, "When my onee-sama handed me this rosary, I was most ecstatic even though I knew from the start she was planning on making me her petite soeur… She made me feel like the most important person in the world that day." When the rosary left Sachiko's neck and dangled in front of Yumi, the brunette remained silent.

"Not even two weeks ago you refused to become my petite soeur. You told me things I didn't want to hear – true… but awful things – you painted me as a monster in front of my best friends."

Yumi still stood her ground, unmoved by Sachiko's words.

"I'm sorry but I can't give you my rosary." The raven-haired girl placed the rosary back around her own neck, carefully tucking it into her sailor collar. And just like that the crucifix once again rested atop of her heart.

"But…"

"Everybody deserves to feel the way I felt when my onee-sama placed her rosary around my neck. I'm sorry I almost took that away from you, Yumi…"

"But…"

"I'll handle Suguru-san. Two can play this game."


	9. Call your Girlfriend

A/N: This chapter is a bit lengthy, you can blame Sei for it.

Thank you for reading!

* * *

Sei was on a mission for Todou-sensei –yet again. Shimako's dad had made the blonde his personal assistant ever since his daughter left for the Cloister; perhaps it was the fact that Sei was the closest connection the older man had to Shimako, or maybe it was the fact that the two girls were one in the same, but the Buddhist Priest, such an important figure in the religious realm, had developed this incredible connection with Sei, and she, knowing very well that such opportunities didn't come along very often, took his friendship invitation and held on to it with all of the strength in her heart.

There was really little to think about when the offers to help with the temple kept coming. Saying no would have been refusing to have one's heart wrapped in the most soft of fabrics and sang to slumber. There was no doubt in Sei's mind that Shimako was a godsend; when the blonde had asked the younger girl to become her petite soeur, she knew the rosary offer was but a simple formality, Shimako had already made up her mind regarding who she wanted to be her grand soeur – rejecting Sachiko was proof that Sei's little sister was a girl of strength and resolve. Nevertheless, being a grand soeur meant that Sei was handed the incredible responsibility to break the walls surrounding Shimako's heart in order to see what was really in there, buried under the stoicism, serenity and the soft spoken words. And by doing so, she was able to learn about so much more: dreams, fears, failures, and everything a high school-aged girl could keep compartmentalized and hidden in the darkest corners of her heart. It was everything Sei wasn't expecting to see, all of which so raw, uncut and wonderfully genuine; there was no way in hell Sei could have said no to Todou-sensei after being able to take a peak into Shimako's heart.

So, there Sei was, crossing streets and getting deep into an interesting part of town in order to find this very important cloth the older man needed for a traditional kimono, plus a list filled with other paraphernalia that she could only pronounce because she spent enough time at the temple working for the Priest.

In the midst of the loud music coming from the various stores Sei walked by, her phone vibrated in her pocket and when she accepted the call and lifted her device up to her ear, the simple, "Hello" from the other side of the line made everything surrounding the blonde just go completely silent.

"Youko."

"You sound so surprised," the brunette chuckled.

"I'm… still not used to this."

"Oh…"

"Oh no, no, no! This is… nice! It's nicer than what I expected, actually. You spoil me."

"I don't do anything that I don't think I should be doing, Sei."

"And that's why you're amazing."

"You're biased."

"You're silly."

"Sei..."

"Huh?"

"Please, focus here! There's a reason why I called you."

"Oh, not just to hear my voice?"

"No. Not just to hear your voice, but let's just say that your voice is a plus."

"I knew it!"

"Sei!"

"Yes…"

"Mom and dad mentioned they wanted to get you something for your birthday while they're on vacation."

"Oh. No. I don't need anything."

"I know you don't need anything, but do you want something for your birthday?"

"Your parents already made what I want for my birthday…" Even though Sei didn't try, the sentence came out throaty, and needy, making Youko's voice falter when she responded, "Y-you're something else, Sei."

They both knew it was too soon for anything more physical than a kiss, but Sei's joke and Youko's awkward response were enough proof that the thought had already crossed the girls' minds.

"I… Told them you would benefit from a new winter coat."

"What's wrong with my jacket?"

"The only one you have is your old Lillian overcoat, Sei…"

"Which is in perfect conditions…"

"Perfect condition to be retired."

Sei laughed at the bickering and wondered if that was the way Rei and Yoshino felt when they had mindless back-and-forth discussions that led them nowhere – Sei was learning those were too much fun to be avoided.

Buddhist temple, Shinto shrine, Sei made a note to herself to take Youko on a walk on that side of town; that area was too beautiful to be hidden like it was. Japanese Orthodox Church, Catholic Church; Sei kept walking, she was almost at the place she needed to reach when, "C-can I call you in a second?"

"Oh."

"I-I'll call you right back, okay?"

"O-okay…" And just like that, Sei brought her phone down, because right in front of her chest there was a hand stopping the girl from taking another step, and the set of eyes which stared at the blonde intently were a wonderful mixture of green and honey.

"S-Shiori-san." Sei managed out, just as all of the colors surrounding her turned into gray.

"It's been…"

"A while," Sei answered awkwardly, her voice cracking, her mind in a blur. When Shiori's hand descended from the blonde's chest, landing atop Sei's knuckles, there was nothing the former Rosa Gigantea could do but gasp; how many times had she dreamed of the moment she'd come across Shiori at a random street of Tokyo? How many times had she rehearsed in front of the mirror in her bathroom, words of adoration which were Shiori's and Shiori's alone? The answer had been lost in Sei's mind, the dreams had been stored for another life; the practiced lines, forgotten after so many years.

"Do you think we could… get a cup of coffee somewhere?"

"Coffee?" Sei's brain was working on safe mode, "S-sure…" her legs did nothing but follow Shiori's steps until, little by little, she saw colors again.

Shiori made a right turn when they reached a corner, "These guys over here," she pointed to a small sign hidden by overgrown trees, "They're known for their espressos."

"S-sure," Shiori held the door open and Sei walked in.

"Ah! Shiori-san! Second time today? Will Kobayashi-sensei allow you to be bouncing off the walls?" The guy on the other side of the counter couldn't be older than high-school age, but had addressed the girl so casually, Shiori had to be a regular.

"Kobayashi-sensei won't be back until Saturday for the new exhibit. I'm safe today."

"Ah! I see! So… same thing as this morning?"

"Yes, please."

"And your friend?"

"Uh... I'll have whatever she's having, thank you," even the kid behind the counter picked up on the awkwardness, "Hai," he said; nonetheless, and Shiori handed him a card which he charged and handed back to her with ease.

Sei watched the girl in front of her take a quick step to the side, away from the ordering area and the blonde copied the move, standing right beside Shiori. When another employee tried to squeeze through, going toward the back of the store, Sei took one too many steps to the side and her arm gently grazed against Shiori's, allowing the brunette to seize the opportunity and claim the blonde's hand for the second time that day.

To say that the contact wasn't heavenly was to be telling the biggest lie ever told by Satou Sei. Shiori's skin had always been soft and the jolt of electricity which traveled across Sei's body once the two touched, felt the same as every single time the blonde came into contact with Shiori when they were in high school. To say that the former Rosa Gigantea's heart wasn't hammering against her chest and that the butterflies weren't rebelling inside her stomach was also a lie. When Sei had finally apologized, breaking the the contact, she couldn't help but wonder if that was how every first lost love felt like: a curse, a disease that could never be cured.

Shiori had grown taller, thought not towering Sei. Her brown, straight hair had been cut and layered, lying just a little below her shoulders, the trademark bangs looked freshly trimmed. There was no denying, no going around how wonderful Kubo Shiori still looked.

When the two girls had picked up their orders, Shiori led the way through the small indoor sitting area toward an open patio tucked in between a bakery and a candy store. In the middle of that quick walk, Sei felt her phone vibrate with a text message, fishing it from her back pocket she powered the device on and off quickly; the text from Yumi simply read 'u ok?' and Sei asked herself if she really was, then wondered if Youko had contacted Yumi and had mentioned the phone call to the younger girl, prompting her to nonchalantly probe.

Taking a seat first, Shiori signaled for Sei to take a chair, which she did, then, "Shiori-san, I—"

"Please…" the brunette interrupted. "It… has been so long and I have so many things I would like to say to you… If I let you start, then I'll lose the courage..." Shiori looked at her coffee then back up at Sei. At that, Sei said nothing, she simply motioned 'go ahead' both with her hand and a shake of her head.

"Sei…" There was a long pause before Shiori continued, "I… am sorry." All Sei could do was quietly chuckle; it sounded bitter and contemptuous: everything Shiori knew Sei could never be; so she pressed on, "I am truly, so very sorry for not being brave enough to run away with you, for letting you stand at that train station waiting for me, for disappearing from your life, for making you suffer."

"Shiori-san…"

"No. Please, hear me out… I had lost myself so deeply in you, Sei, that for a second I thought that if you hurt, I'd feel that pain, too; that if you bled I'd also bleed; that if you died I also would," Shiori smiled shyly, "Your love was wonderful, your touches extraordinary, your kisses breathtaking. You meant everything to me, and that is why when I saw you waiting for me at the train station, I thought… I couldn't do that to you... I couldn't take you away from your friends, the Yamayurikai, your family, everything you knew and loved, only because my heart ached for yours. It would have been so unfair and selfish of me to just destroy your future, so I left."

Sei lifted her eyes from her coffee, "You… didn't want to jeopardize my future…"

"H-hai."

"Shiori-san…" Sei wanted so badly to ask Shiori if it had ever crossed her mind that by trying not to destroy Sei's future, Shiori ended up demolishing the blonde's heart. Sei wanted to ask Shiori if she had ever thought that by trying not to be selfish, she had opened the door to sleepless nights and foggy days. Sei wanted, so badly, to throw all that in Shiori's face and walk away with a cleansed soul.

But Sei couldn't.

Something kept the blonde's lips from spilling those thoughts forward. Something kept the blonde from bursting into rage.

"I loved you with every fiber of my being. I loved the sound of your voice, the hazel of your eyes, the scent of your hair, the way your lips tasted. I loved how soft your hands were, and how your chest felt pressed against mine. I loved how smart you were, how honest you were. And I loved the way you loved me. I loved you so much and the truth is that I couldn't let you walk away without telling you what I should have so long ago."

"Shiori-san…" Sei's lips spoke the girl's name carefully, like a prayer, "When I saw you for the first time in that chapel, my heart felt heavy and light at the same time. It was strange and amazing, fulfilling and insatiable all at once… I thought I was okay being on my own before you came along and completely changed me, my heart, my world. Before meeting you I didn't feel like I deserved to feel anything at all and then you came around and there I was: happy and sad and afraid and hopeful. You taught my heart how to love, and because of that I will always be thankful to you. But… the fact that you just up and left, devastated me. I was a chaotic mess, a train wreck. You left me completely lost, you left my heart in crumbles with no directions on how to put the pieces back together…"

Sei finally took a sip of her drink, the warm liquid coating her dry throat. Caramel on the forefront of a sweet parade, proceeded by cocoa, vanilla and closing with bitter hints espresso. Every flavor so perfectly mixed and flawlessly delivered. It was a bit of a shame for her mouth to have such a delightful experience while her heart hammered, impatiently against her chest. The caffeine wasn't helping either.

"I know I've hurt you tremendously and I am so deeply sorry for breaking your heart and not being there to help you mend it. Sei, if I could… If I knew how much this would have hurt… I promise you, I would have done things differently."

"You know…" Sei chuckle again, "I don't think I can do this. I should get going, Shiori-san," Sei started to stand, though before the blonde had completely stood, Shiori leaned in, cupping Sei's cheeks in her hands, diligently yet cautiously, allowing Sei to reject the gesture if she decided to. Then, Shiori claimed Rosa Gigantea's lips to herself, tenderly, like it was the first time they shared a kiss.

"Sei," Shiori breathed inside the girl's mouth, trying to hold back stubborn tears. And with closed eyes Sei's tongue invaded Shiori's mouth forcefully, cravingly, borderline uncouthly.

"Whoa Blondie!" A voice from across the road interrupted the kiss. Crossing the street, Takuya, with the help of crutches, hopped onto the sidewalk with Noriko in tow, "I could see your tongue from all the way across the street!"

"Shi-Shimura-sama," Sei bowed quickly, but didn't miss Shiori's blush.

Takuya smiled, "It's about time you introduced me to this girlfriend you bragged about so much the other day."

"She's not…" Sei looked at Shiori, desperation clearly plastered across her face. Then she looked again at Takuya and her gaze finally landed on Noriko who just stood there, red cheeks, biting her bottom lip while she watched Shiori storm out of the patio, sprinting toward the street. Sei was able to mumble an apology to Takuya quickly before she ran after the brunette.

"You're an idiot, Takuya-kun..." Noriko reached for her temples, "such an idiot…"

"What did I do this time?!" The older man asked confused.

"That wasn't her girlfriend," Noriko watched Takuya look down and up again, and just then understanding finally dawned on him: the girl with Sei, wasn't Youko. "How in the world should I know that the girl she was _kissing_ isn't the girl she's _dating_?! What if that was in fact Youko-chan?"

"That was definitely not Youko-sama."

"And how are you so sure?"

"Sei-sama is dating Mizuno Youko-sama. Youko-sama is Ogasawara Sachiko-sama's grand soeur from Lillian High. Sachiko-sama is Fukuzawa Yumi-san's girlfriend.

"Fukuzawa Yumi… Fukuzawa Yumi… Ah! Your friend from university?

"… Yes, Takuya-kun!" How could such a smart guy be so dense?

Takuya was still quite confused, "But… how do you know Sei-chan?"

"How do _you_ know Sei-sama?"

Meanwhile, Sei sprinted behind Shiori and was able to catch up with the girl before the she had gone into the back entrance of an art gallery.

"Let go of me, Sei!" Shiori screamed when Sei reached for the brunette's forearm in the darkness of a hallway.

"Wait, wait!" Sei pleaded.

"Let me go!"

"Shiori! Please! I beg of you, stop!"

Finally finding a switch, Shiori flipped the corridor light on, "Why didn't you tell me you were dating someone?"

"Why would that even matter, Shiori-san?"

"Isn't it clear Sei?" Shiori had finally stopped thrashing.

"…"

Several paintings hung on the walls around the two girls. Bright-color strokes, portraits, black and white photos adorning their surroundings, all incredibly beautiful, quiet and calm, the complete opposite of the commotion led by Sei.

"Sei…"

"You… cannot be serious!"

"What if I am, Sei?"

"And you waited five years to say something?!"

"Sei…"

"No, no, no…" Sei brought her hands to her head, pacing back and forth, "Youko and I just started dating…" she reasoned with herself a bit too loud.

"You… are dating Mizuno Youko…" Shiori laughed to hide the tightening in her chest.

"Yes."

"She has always loved you, you know..."

"…"

"Are you happy?" Shiori asked.

"Yes, actually. She's… an incredible woman."

"Do you love her?"

"Yes."

"More than you've loved me?"

"Shiori-san…"

"Just tell me, Sei…"

###

Sei ran outside, the streetlights lit the roads and sidewalks, Stores were still open, people were still out shopping, the world hadn't tilted, the earth still rotate perfectly; everything remained the same, everything but Sei's heart, and that heart ached because it knew what it was to come: telling Youko the truth.

Even though Sei knew she had to call both Youko and Yumi, the first phone call she made was to neither one of the girls.

"Blondie!" Takuya was still Takuya.

"Shimura-sama… I deeply apologi—"

"Ah, pa, pa, pa…. We both know that it was my lack of social cues that ended up leaving you in a… sticky situation. I should be the one apologizing to you."

"Shimura-sama, I… did something I should not have done in a place I should have not been, with someone I should have not been with; I take full responsibility for what happened earlier toda—."

"Sei-chan," Takuya interrupted, "Did you learn your lesson?"

"H-hai..."

"So did I. Don't you think we can now move on now?

"Shimura-sama… I…"

"You need Noriko-chan, right?"

"Y-yes… I'd like to speak with her. Could you give me her phone number?"

"I can give you something better."

"Uh…"

"She's still with me."

"Oh."

"Come back to the coffee parlor. I'll let you talk to her while I go get me some chocolate next door."

###

It was a matter of minutes before Sei was sitting at the same table she was sitting with Shiori; this time, though, she was facing a different brunette.

"Look, Noriko-chan…" Sei started, not realizing that the younger girl found herself in a bind; liking both Sei and Youko equally, it was difficult for her to wrap her head around what she had seen earlier that day.

"I am fully responsible for what has happened here, okay? I wish I could say otherwise, but I did nothing to stop what I knew was coming from kilometers away. But I need you to listen to me… I'm going to tell you story that might explain a lot about what you saw today, then it's up to you do to whatever you think is right when we both leave here. Is that okay? Can I tell you a story?" Noriko said nothing, afraid of what her voice would sound like if she tried speaking. For a second she thought herself a burden, and if she had the strength, she would have told Sei that she didn't have to worry about explaining herself because in the end Noriko's words meant nothing – had Noriko not befriended Yumi, she would have been a simple bystander. _It could have been so much easier that way_ , she thought. However, she was also slowly learning that friendship, trust and understanding didn't just fall on one's lap.

Taking Noriko's silence as an answere, Sei started, "When I was sixteen… I met a girl inside a Chapel at Lillian. She was…" Sei blushed, "beautiful, smart, caring; everything I was not. And she loved me even thought I was childish, rebellious and unyielding. Noriko, Shiori-san filled my heart with love and understanding. Shiori-san also shattered my heart by walking away from my life when times got tough." Sei explained everything to Noriko, giving her specific details and timeline of events. She poured her heart out to the brunette, describing bit by bit how she felt the day she met Shiori and the day she was left at the train station. Out of a sudden, Noriko was presented with all of the missing pieces of the story Yumi had told her, though nothing had been concealed.

Noriko was also told what had transpired during that afternoon up until Takuya had spotted her at the coffee shop.

"Now you know the story…"

"Sei-sama," Noriko forced out with tears in her eyes.

"Noriko-chan, it's not my right to ask you not to tell anyone what you just saw. I couldn't do that to you. I couldn't force you to keep this secret for me. And Youko has the right to know. However, I'd like very much to be the first person to speak with her about what happened here today…"

At the younger girl's weak nod, Sei stood up.

"Sei-sama…"

"Yes, Noriko-chan."

"If… If you give me the shopping list, Takuya and I can get the items for you. Then you can stop by my house tomorrow to pick them up and tell me about your talk to Youko-sama…"

"Noriko-chan…" Sei had understood Noriko's unspoken agreement and was quite moved by the younger girl's support. She handed Noriko the shopping list, and the "Thank you" she uttered meant so much more than a simple acknowledgement of gratitude for running the errands for her.

Noriko looked down at the list, reading all of the items carefully, "It shouldn't take us that long to buy these."

"Oh. You know what those are?"

"Yup."

"Hmm."

"We've got you!"

And just like that, Sei sprinted toward the car garage; her hair was a tangled mess, her sweaty shirt, stuck to her back. She made several attempts to call Youko, all of which were unsuccessful and after she reached Youko's voicemail for the fifth time, she called Yumi, and was not surprised that after just one ring, the lines connected, "You're in trouble Satou-san."

"Sa-Sachan?"

"What did you say to my Onee-sama?!"

"I… nothing. I didn't say anything, Sachan…"

"Then why is she in my guest room crying?"

Bingo. Sei knew exactly where to go now. "Sachan… I didn't say anything, I didn't…" She hesitated before continuing, "do anything. But I would like to see Youko and fix this misunderstanding, though."

"Well, you know where to find her."

"Hai!"

Sei jumped in her car and drove toward the Ogasawara Mansion, thoughts of what had transpired earlier that day flooding the blonde's mind, a gnawing feeling forming at the pit of her stomach.

###

Sachiko greeted the blonde at her front door with a "You stink!"

"Have you been outside today, Sachan? It's damn hot!"

Two pale hands handed the blonde a towel and a change of clothes, "clean up, Sei, Youko-sama is not going anywhere," Yumi's warm smile was the complete opposite of Sachiko's piercing stare.

"Thank you." Sei answered, taking the items from Yumi's hand and walking to the bathroom.

###

As Sei quietly opened the door of the Ogasawara guest room, she didn't bother turning on the light, the blonde simply let her eyes adjust to the darkness and then pressed forward toward the western-style bed.

"Youko..." Sei whispered tentatively while she sat on the feet of the bed. There was no response from the girl lying down, completely wrapped –head to toe– in a blanket.

"Youko… What are you doing here?" After hearing a quiet sniffle coming from the bed, Sei lay down and peaked inside the blanked. "Hey… Talk to me…" Like those were magical words, Youko's sniffles quickly became sobs.

"…What's the matter?" Sei moved strands of hair behind Youko's ears carefully. "Please, talk to me…" She probed.

"I know you saw her…" Youko's voice was hoarse like she had been crying for a long time.

Sei had driven all the way to the Ogasawara Mansion to tell Youko about what had happened that afternoon, so she didn't want to go around the issue, "How do you know?" she asked.

"I heard you say her name before you hung up the phone," Youko whispered.

"Youko…" The blonde moved closer to Youko, inhaling deeply the unmistakably wonderful scent of her best friend.

"What happened, Sei?"

"We talked."

"Sei…"

"We kissed."

Youko brought her hands up to her face and she cried like a child who had lost her best friend. And she felt her heart crack inside her chest. And it hurt and stung like a fresh razor cut being soaked in hot water; like pouring salt in an open wound. The quiet bawl continued for a long time, until Youko's core was so tired the shaking subsided, until her chest felt empty and her throat was raw.

"Youko..."

"Having you was the best thing that had ever happened to me."

"Youko…"

"I've always known I could never win against her."

"…Since when did my heart become a prize people compete for?"

Though the warm tears kept stubbornly rolling down Youko's face, there was a last questions which she knew she needed to ask, "Do you still have feelings for her?"

"Yes," Sei answered flatly.

"Then… what in Maria-sama are you doing here, Sei?"

"I thought the reason was clear…"

"…"

"You're my best friend, Youko!"

"Don't… This is so embarrassing..."

"Youko, I could have just stayed there and fucked her as easily as I could have simply gone home. I could have even hidden at the temple –no one would have found me there. But I didn't. Instead, I figured out where you were, then drove all the way across town to get to you and had to deal with Sachiko-chan's threats for the simple fact that I cannot imagine what my life would look like without you in it. Do I still like her? Maybe. Do I want to be with her? Not in a million years. Not after you, Youko. Not after you. I am terribly sorry for making you think even for a second that I could choose another over you. The only hand I want to hold is yours, Youko."

###

"Yes," Sei answered after a long silence.

Sei could have told Shiori that Youko's kisses were passionate, wholly and earnest; that Rosa Chinensis' hugs were strong, full of warmth, and that her whispers were wonderfully tender. She could have told Shiori that Youko was so much more she had ever dreamed she could find in someone, but she didn't.

She could have said that she loved Youko with the caution of a heart that had been broken and bruised and that at sixteen had to learn to endure a loss which was deemed invaluable by a young an naïve Sei. She could have explained the depth and the breadth of that love she had toward Youko, though, she refrain from allowing Shiori to learn about the details of her happiness.

When Sei exited the art gallery, the setting sun painted the horizon with the most incredible shades of blues and purples; that natural work of art, marking the end of that day in the greatest of ways – perhaps a simple reassurance that the sun would rise again, the same way Sei's heart was able to beat again. And that muscle which ever so strongly pounded against her chest, yearned desperately for Mizuno Youko.

* * *

A/N: How was it? Let me know!


	10. And Then There Was You

A/N: Hello!

Many of you know that I take the time to thank people for reviewing my chapters; my PMs convey how thankful I am for having people like you reading my stories and giving me feedback. When I receive Guest reviews; however, I am not able to answer to them privately; therefore, I would like to take a second to respond to a guest:

 _Guest chapter 9 . Jan 7_

 _This is getting draggy. When will be the meeting of noriko and shimako?_

\- I accept your opinion. Thank you. Noriko will be introduced to Shimako soon.

Nevertheless, here's another chapter where Noriko does not get introduced to Shimako.

* * *

Sumireko had poured Sei, Yumi and Noriko a cup of ginger tea then made herself comfortable on her recliner, sipping on her own hot drink.

"So…" Sumireko looked at the girls sitting on the couch across from her. Since the older woman was Noriko's best friend, and had welcomed Noriko's friends with so much care and attention, Sei felt no need to have her guard up.

"So…" The blonde gave Sumireko a shy smirk, "I'm kissing her, right, and I'm not proud of it, but it just felt so much like the perfect avenue for me to finally get closure…" Putting the way Sei felt at that instant into words was incredibly difficult; closure was all she could come up with – a long awaited opportunity to finally say goodbye to a love that had been remarkable in every single sense of the word. Sei knew; however that behaving any other way would have given Shiori the false impression that she might still have a chance to reconcile with the blonde.

To be true, that kiss was absolutely nothing like the ones Sei and Shiori had shared before; Sei might have been an inchoate boor, but with Shiori she was tender and loving and giving. That kiss Sei offered Shiori that afternoon was brash and rough and passionate, yes, but ultimately, it was selfish – and that said a lot about what Sei was feeling when she allowed Shiori's lips to find hers.

"And I felt confused and angry and sad and it was like that feeling you get when you walk into your parents' house as an adult and immediately feel like you're twelve-years-old again…" At that remark Sumireko chuckled; the older Lillian maiden felt it hit home for her, "It's almost like replacing all of the knowledge and wisdom you've learned throughout the years with the ill-equipped feelings of a younger version of yourself – the version you hate the most, that is. Or like being caught off guard and just choosing to be angry when you have no control over things…"

"Exactly! Sei exclaimed then looked at Yumi and winked, "Ring a bell?" She continued, making the brunette blush profusely.

"…Hai."

Sumireko's eyebrow-raise was followed with a question, "Yumi-chan was a little rebel? Who would have thought!"

"Sei is exaggerating, Sumireko-sama…"

"Yumi dropped the F-bomb in front of the Yamayurikai the first day we met!" Sei blurted out, a smile from ear-to-ear plastered on her face.

"Sei!"

Sumireko chuckled, "Oh my!"

"Can you please just continue with your story?"

"You're so sensitive, Yumi-chan…"

"We're here so you can tell Noriko how incredibly messed up your head is and how lucky you are to have Youko-sama around… Go on now…" Yumi tried hard to keep a straight face, but failed miserably at it.

"Riiiiiiight…." The blonde reached for her teacup and saucer, drinking the sweet tea all the while collecting her thoughts before continuing, "Uh. Yeah. So, before I can break the kiss and let Shiori down easy, Shimura-sama catches us…"

"Shimura-sama…" Sumireko half asked half wondered.

"I was with Takuya-kun yesterday, remember?" Noriko explained.

Sumireko shook her head, "How do you know that idiot?"

"He's good friends with my Petite Soeur's father."

"Buddhist statue aficionado, too?" Sumireko asked.

"Buddhist Priest."

"Of course…"

Sei continued on, retelling the entire story and finishing it with a "Could you imagine my face when she asked me who I loved more?"

"And your answer was?" Noriko asked.

"What do you think, Noriko-chan?" Sei probed.

Noriko didn't think twice, "Youko-sama."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because otherwise you wouldn't have brought Yumi-san with you…"

"And _that's_ why I keep saying Yumi did a really good job when she found you, Noriko-chan!"

There it was again, that swell in Noriko's chest, that feeling of belonging, of having a heart which was once almost empty, slowly being filled with love from those girls. What a wonderful feeling it was to have a room full of people who thought so highly of you.

"So…" Sei continued, "I basically ran out of the art gallery as fast as I could, feeling elated and guilty at the same time… I felt ten kilos lighter but dirty. It was weird." Sei went on to explain the talk she had with Noriko and her drive to the Ogasawara Mansion then, "I wasn't even completely inside the house and Sachan…" Sei looked at Sumireko, "Yumi-chan's bratty girlfriend," she explained, "was about to kill me..."

"Sei…" Yumi shook her head, "Sachiko was doing what any good petite soeur would have done when they saw their Onee-sama hurting…"

"I never would have pictured Sachiko as being the overprotective kind…" Noriko added.

"Sachan? When it comes down to protecting her people, Sachan is a beast! This one time, Rei was wandering around school aimlessly not knowing what to do with herself after Yoshino had the brilliant idea to return her rosary – can you believe that kid? – so Sachiko finds Rei hiding in the green house, drags her butt all the way to the Rose Mansion so she could get herself together… Ah, and let us not forget the times she obliterated Touko-chan trying to protect our one and only Yumi, here. The woman is a savage!"

"Sachiko is just earnest to a fault." Yumi explained.

"Yumi has become a softy…" Sei smiled, "don't believe her, she's bias—" Before Sei could finish her teasing sentence, her phone started to go off, "I really have to get this, it's work…" she stood, walking toward the kitchen, and the last thing the other girls heard was a faint, "Hello."

"Sumireko-sama, I deeply apologize for Sei's, uh, unconventional antics. She is our wild child," Yumi said.

"If every group of friends had someone like Sei-chan around, the world would be a better place," Sumireko smiled, reaching for the ceramic kettle on the coffee table, topping off Yumi's teacup, then Noriko's and finally Sei's, "You should never apologize for having a blessing around," the older woman finished.

As the girls discussed Sei's quite unorthodox ways, the blonde returned from her phone call with the biggest smile on her face, "So… where were we again?"

"Sei…" Yumi sounded serious, "You can't just answer a phone call and then cheese like that afterwards without telling us what's going on..."

"Well," Sei jumped on the couch, tucking in one of her legs under her bottom, then she leaned forward to get closer to Yumi, "Rosa Gigantea has tickets to come home."

"You're kidding!" Yumi's face was bright as a sunny day.

"Would I ever lie to you, Yumi-chan?"

"That means… Rosa Canina?"

"Yup!"

Yumi was all smiles when she explained to Noriko and Sumireko that their dear friends were finally headed home.

"How wonderful!" Sumireko brought her hands together and clapped once.

###

It was Friday afternoon and the girls had planned on meeting at Sei's apartment for dinner, which Rei and Nana were preparing together – hopefully with enough booze on her, Yoshino would probably stay away from the kitchen.

Because of the last-minute shenanigan, Noriko found herself in K station right before noon. She knew it was a terrible idea to be going north at that time, but she had promised Takuya she would drop off an old juzu they were supposed to be working on before "disappearing for the weekend," like he started to call the weekend-long rendezvous of the Yamayurikai. Takuya feigned annoyance but he was more than happy about the way things had turned out for his friend.

Noriko had gone up a flight of stairs and then down another in order to take the northbound train back to Sumireko's to clean up when she spotted Kanako from across the tracks. Not thinking she would have been seen, Noriko stood there waiting for her train when she looked toward where the tall girl was one more time and found her waiving eagerly, a smile no one could deny was beautiful, plastered on her face. Then she pointed at herself, the stairs and then Noriko; at Noriko's nod of understanding the tall girl started her trek up the stairs. And it didn't take long for Kanako to find Noriko.

"Gokigenyou," Noriko said first, which felt strange but was absolutely the correct thing to start a conversation with any Lillian alumna. She then continued, "I can't believe you were able to see me in that sea of people!"

"Gokigenyou, Noriko-san!" Kanako blushed after admitting that, "you're about the same height as Touko, it was easy to spot you." The girl had lost count of how many times she had lost Touko when they were out running errands for the Yamayurikai in the beginning of their friendship. She went from always looking up, aimlessly, to finally having a focus: a short-tempered, cantankerous at times, but loving focus, and Kanako wouldn't change that for the world.

"And talking about Touko-san, where is she?" Noriko asked.

"She spent the night at Yumi-sama's."

"Oh. I see."

"Touko-san is really fond of Yumi-sama, huh?"

Kanako nodded yes.

"I guess it's good for Touko-san to have someone like Yumi-san around."

"Touko needs someone who's stern in the most loving way and Yumi-sama is that person…"

Noriko smiled big, "She also has you, Kanako-san. I'm sure she is thankful for that…"

"I h-hope so…" Kanako's eyes never met Noriko's when she spoke.

"…"

"A-are you going to Sei-sama's?"

"Stopping by the Rose Mansion first," for some reason Kanako was the only person able to stop by Lillian and help Nana sort through old boxes that still belonged to the former Roses. "Don't ask me how I was voluntold, but I was…"

Noriko explained she only lived a few stops from K station and that she wouldn't mind helping, "I can shower really quick and grab my overnight bag. It shouldn't take more than half-an-hour…"

"I don't want to impose, Noriko-san."

"I'd love to see where the Yamayurikai met…"

"You're going to be disappointed," Kanako chuckled, " It's just an old house…"

###

Since Sumireko wasn't home, Kanako sat by herself in front of the T.V. in the living room while Noriko showered. The home looked lived-in in the coziest of ways; DVD cases laid on the coffee table, a DVD still atop of the Playstation, a wireless controller rested on the arm of the couch and Kanako spotted another controller on a recliner, making it known that video-game battles went down in that space.

In the corner of the living room, paperbacks and hardcovers were neatly arranged side-by-side on a tall wooden shelf; Hemingway, Bukowski, Marquez and Verlain shared space with light novels and textbooks. What Kanako didn't realize at that time was that, that room was an extension of her new friend, and it was simple yet filled with intricate nuances.

"I hope I didn't make you wait too long…" Noriko's hair was still wet from her shower when she sat on the couch by Kanako.

"Pretty sure that was the fastest shower anyone has ever taken – and believe me, I'm used to Touko's so called…" Kanako lifted her arms and made air quotes while saying, "med school showers," then she continued, " those are super quick!" she chuckled to herself, "sometimes I question how the heck she does it, but she always smells so nice afterwards… I guess it just takes talent…" She trailed off realizing she was mostly just talking to herself. Though, stopping the rambling didn't keep Noriko from smiling at how Kanako clearly cherished the curly-pigtailed girl.

"Oh!" Noriko looked at the T.V. trying to help the tall girl's situation by changing the route of their conversation, "you could have changed the channel if you wanted to…"

"To tell you the truth I wasn't even paying attention…"

Kanako said goodbye to Sumireko's house, but promised Noriko she'd come back to have tea and a proper tour soon. From K station the pair took a westbound train toward Lillian. Noriko made sure that the conversation the two new friends had while traveling was much less compromising than the one they ended up having previously. If Kanako wanted to disclose her feelings for Touko, then be it, but prying wasn't something Noriko would do – at least at that point in their relationship – even though Kanako's feelings toward Touko were clear as a summer day.

The Lillian gates were wide open, standing tall as ever and the bright sun made its gold-colored metal look dark orange. It was a wonderful image, one which could have been in Noriko's everyday life for three years had she listened to Sumireko's request. Perhaps those gates, all almighty and grand, would have just become a small part of the bigger picture of Noriko's life at Lillian.

Unfortunately, thought, there was no time for counting losses, and Kanako – who like any other Lillian student had overlooked the gates – kept following the neatly-kept path toward the Rose Mansion. As the tall girl passed buildings, she explained to Noriko what they housed and who studied with whom, then she stopped and turned around, "Behold."

"So, this is it…"Noriko looked up.

"Yup."

"It's… beautiful," she smiled.

"You don't have to be so proper."

"No! I mean it! The structure, the old windows with the mosaics, the bricks, everything!

"You're too kind, Noriko-san."

Inside, Kanako and Noriko found Nana in a back room in the first floor, where boxes upon boxes were neatly stacked in a corner of the large bedroom-turned-storage area.

"Noriko-sama, Kanako-sama, gokigenyou."

The honorific was starting to sound a bit less unnatural, but Noriko still felt awkward by such propriety, "Gokigenyou," she uttered back mechanically, her lips, protesting for the second time that day.

Nana offered to go upstairs and bring back a cup of tea for the two older girls, though, before she left she pointed to three boxes that were sealed with clear tape,

"One of them should be Touko-sama's but the other two I think belong to the older Roses."

"I see," Kanako said.

"I just didn't know who the handwriting belonged to..." Nana said before finally leaving the room.

Kanako looked at Noriko and removed the tape from the box with the mysterious handwriting before asking, "Ready to invade the privacy of the Roses?"

"Are you sure, Kanako-san?"

"If there were secrets in these boxes, I am sure they would have come to take things themselves."

"H-hai," Noriko agreed with a nod.

The first box was full of old Christmas decorations, ribbons, a happy birthday banner, never used balloons, and dried-out markers – a complete waste of time if one would have asked Kanako.

By the time Nana had returned with tea, Kanako and Noriko were almost done moving things into a trash bag, "You're quick!" the younger girl chuckled, then offered a tray with three teacups to Noriko, then Kanako. She finally took the last teacup and saucer and placed the tray by the door so she wouldn't forget to take it back upstairs when they were done with the drinks.

"I don't ever remember seeing those decorations during Christmas so they must be from the time Youko-sama was Rosa Chinensis," Kanako explained and then moved toward the second box, "This box looks even older…"

Kanako thought she was right for a second as she pulled even more old decorations from the box, but then, before she had finally reached the bottom, she stopped with a loud "Oh," and looked at her friends as she reached into it again, bringing up a large manila envelope with the initials TT on it.

"Takeshima Tsutako…" Kanako smile widened when she opened the envelope to find dozens of pictures carefully arranged in it.

"Those are…"

"Old pictures!" Kanako squealed and Nana came running toward the brunette.

It was funny and wonderfully intriguing to watch those girls interact, to feel their connection, the red string of fate, the bond which brought them together in the most elementary of ways. Noriko was slowly understanding through the most simple of exchanges, that love ran deep amongst those who were lucky enough to be part of that group of girls. And right then and there Noriko smiled and thanked Maria-sama – even though she knew nothing about that old house, she was home.

Nevertheless, girls would be girls and Noriko's fond moment was interrupted by Nana squealing, "Kanako-sama! It's…"

"I know…"

"Can I have it?"

"You're gonna have to ask the ladies first." Kanako said, then looked at Noriko with a smile, "You really should come look at these with us!"

"Are you sure?" Noriko asked with hesitation.

"You're not gonna want to miss this…" Nana answered and watched Noriko walk behind the two girls, " Okay, let me see…"

"Look at the children!" Kanako handed Noriko a picture of Sei, Yumi, Youko and Sachiko dressed in their Cinderella costumes in front of Maria-sama's statue. "This was the year before Touko and I became high school freshmen. "You can see that Sei has always been…energetic, look," Kanako handed another picture to Noriko, that one was of Sei and Yumi – both in their Lillian attire – Sei had one arm around Yumi's neck, her free hand made a V sign.

Noriko chuckled.

"But look at this one!" Nana handed another picture to Noriko who took the photo in he hands.

"Isn't she beautiful, though?" Nana asked, drawing an eye-roll from Kanako.

Looking at the picture carefully, not wanting to miss the most miniscule details of that photograph, Noriko felt once more a tightening in her chest, a nostalgia, an incredible urge to go back in time, to jump in a Kyoto-bound train in hopes she could see the Kannon statue and maybe, only just maybe, a winter storm would have stricken, and it would have stopped train operations that day which would have kept her from taking her entrance exams, forcing her to attend Lillian – all of that angst, and want and longing ignited by a simple smile in an old picture.

"She is…" Noriko answered, handing the old photo back to Nana.

Once again Tsutako had found the perfect moment to take the shot, capturing Sei, Shizuka and Shimako smiling at one another with the front door of the Rose Mansion as a background.

Clearly, Nana and Noriko were speaking of different beauties.

###

"What the heck?" Sei opened the door to her apartment to find three cute brunettes and a large box waiting in the hallway.

"I was told to go through boxes, remember?" Kanako walked in and left the box to be carried by Nana and Noriko.

"And throw away stuff!"

"I did! I threw away two boxes worth of old Christmas decoration!"

"Then what the heck is this?" The blonde pointed to the box, "and was Noriko inside one of the boxes?" Sei laughed at her own joke.

"Kanako couldn't make herself throw anything of Touko's away," Nana laughed.

"Oh c'mon now! I don't even know why I had to go help…"

"You're responsible," Sei started, wrapping her arm around Kanako's shoulder, "you know us all very well and you get the job done – well, kinda, at least."

At Kanako's sigh of indignation, Sei couldn't help but poke the bear just a little more, "You're all of those great things but you gotta be a bit more confident about Touko…"

"Sei-sama!" The girl wiggled her way away from Sei's arm, "What are you talking about?!

"Just tell her you like her!" Sei said, and Kanano's eyes immediately landed on Noriko, who lifted both her hands, palms toward Kanako, then the brunette shrugged awkwardly, "I thought you guys were already together," she tried to help.

"What the heck!?"

"See!" Sei laughed, "Even Noriko who hasn't been around that long can tell!"

Kanako looked at Nana, who nodded. "Really?! That obvious, huh?" The tall brunette sat down on the couch defeated, hiding her face behind a pillow. "Uuuuugh!" The pillow muffled her scream, "fuuuuuaaaahhhh."

"Whatever, don't be so dramatic about it," Nana chuckled.

"Can you imagine how she'd handl—?"

"Who's handling what?" Touko asked as Yumi closed the door behind her.

"Nah! We were just talking about this stupid box Kanako brought from Lillian," Sei swiftly evaded the question.

"I thought you were supposed to throw stuff away," Touko said looking at Kanako.

"I did! But there were pictures and some of your costumes that I thought didn't deserve to be tossed…"

As Kanako unboxed Tsutako's pictures, Sei allowed Yumi and Touko to look at them first – a perfect excuse to give Noriko a tour of the small two-bedroom apartment. From the living room, Sei walked Noriko to the kitchen then proceeded to the small corridor that connected the living room and the bedrooms.

"And this is my bedroom," Sei turned the light on and walked in after Noriko. "It's nothing amazing…"

"But it's homey," Noriko smiled and moved away from the bed, lured by a corkboard full of pictures which hung atop of Sei's desk.

"Sei-sama…" she started.

"What's up?"

"The blonde by you in this photo, who is she?"

"The pretty one with gray eyes?"

Noriko nodded yes.

"That's Shimako-chan!" Immediately after answering the question, Sei realized that she had never really said Shimako's name around Noriko before. As a joke, the blonde had always referred to Shimako as Rosa Gigantea, "Uh… A.K.A. Rosa Gigantea, my petite soeur," she tried to explain.

 _Shimako_ , Noriko repeated the name silently in he mind, before allowing her lips to speak them out loud, "Shimako," each syllable widening Noriko's smile, "that's a lovely name…" she finished.

"Shimako-chan is the most wonderful girl you'll ever meet. I think you kids would get along just fine."

"You think so?"

"I know so!" Sei finished with a smile of her own.

* * *

A/N: As always, thank you for reading!


	11. Waves

A/N: We're going back in time - this is also a Yumi x Sachiko story, after all.

I must admit; however, that I almost moved this chapter so we could keep learning more about Noriko and Shimako... I couldn't do it, though!

Ah! You'll get some Yoshino action today, too!

As always, thank you for reading!

* * *

It's finally over, Yumi thought, siting atop of a hill and looking down at a large bonfire; girls clad in black uniforms with sailor collars danced around the embers. Once in a while one of the girls would come close to the fire and ever so carefully toss papers into the flames. Small booklets, love letters, paperback books, Yumi wasn't very sure of what they were exactly, though she could imagine how many of those girls used that fire to burn letters written and never delivered for lack of courage.

The brunette had watched Rei first, followed by Sei, Youko and Shimako come close to the fire, throw their Cinderella lines into the embers and walk away – a Yamayurikay tradition. To Yumi, since the play had finally been delivered, – with incredible praises – her time with the Yamyurikai had finally ended. It was time Yumi went back to her so wanted anonymity.

Another girl Yumi had never seen before called Hakura Miki stood in front of the fire for a long while, then she reached into her pocked and pulled a small piece of paper from it, Yumi figured it was yet another letter filled with words of adoration and addressed to someone who probably loved another. Miki looked away from the flames, then put the paper back into her pocket and walked toward the line of girls dancing around the bonfire. Yumi thought the girl to be the most coward of all of craven kids clad in dark uniforms until Miki approached another girl who was happily following the moves of the dance and pulling her friend from the line, she walked her toward the fire. Yumi watched as the paper was again withdrawn from the pocket and then the girls conversed for a quick minute before the letter was delivered at last. Head hung down low, Miki waited while her friend read the words forever spilled forth with ink or pencil or whatever she had used to write it. As the girl finished reading the letter, she folded it neatly and turned to Miki, who waited patiently by her side. They exchanged a few words before the letter was neatly returned to a pocket – one the paper had never touched before – and they walked away hand in hand.

"Lucky," Yumi whispered in surprise.

"Who is?" Came a question from behind Yumi, who answered with a shriek, then turned around to face the perpetrator of the scare, asking, "Do you find it amusing to scare me?"

"I find it amusing that you are easily scared," Sachiko said earnestly.

"…"

"Why are you all the way up here?"

"Why are you keeping track of me still?"

"I'm… not…"

"…"

"I wanted to speak with you. Do you mind walking with me?"

"Hai," Yumi answered and readied herself to be told her services weren't needed any longer and that she could go back to being another mediocre high schooler. When the pair reached the statue of Maria-sama, Sachiko turned to face the brunette before she spoke, "Yumi, I wanted to thank you."

"…"

"I wanted to thank you for helping with the Yamayurikai play, and also for helping me with Suguru-san."

"You're welcome, I guess?"

"I mean it, Yumi, and I would like for you not to be condescending for once. You try so hard not to care, but I know you do."

"I was just doing what I was asked. Nothing more, nothing less."

"You ended up doing more than we ever asked from you, you showed extraordinary work ethics and an incredible amount of heart. You pour everything you have in the things you do and I think that is commendable."

"That's cover letter worthy, Osagawara-san."

"Yumi, please…"

"Sorry."

"You're not and I know it."

"…"

"Yumi…"

"…This is the time you say, thank you for your services, and hand me my last paycheck, Maria-sama is waiting."

"You can't do this to me anymore, Yumi. You know that this is not how the Yamayurikai operates. And like I said before, I've come to learn that everything you do, you do to the best of your abilities, including trying to keep people away from you…"

Yumi remained quiet trying to digest the fact that nobody had ever called her out the way Sachiko had done right then in front of Maria-sama.

"Yumi, I would love to give you my rosary, right now, with only Maria-sama as witness, but I won't, because I know you will say something sarcastic about my personality or my upbringing and then reject my offer thinking I am trying to do charity. However, I would like for you to know that for some strange reason I like you and that I would love for you to become my petite soeur. That being said, my mind has been made up and I will remain without an en bouton until you are ready to accept my rosary."

"Ogas—"

"Don't Ogasawara me," Sachiko interrupted. "Since I will not take anybody else but you as a petite soeur, I am hoping that you continue to help the Yamayurikai as we will be in quite a difficult situation without you."

Yumi looked at Sachiko like she had two heads. Why in the world wouldn't she just _say screw_ _it_ and take a petite soeur when the right opportunity presented itself? Why would Ogasawara Sachiko, heiress of the Ogasawara Conglomerate, betrothed to Kashiwagi Suguru, princess who followed the rules and never complained, stand in front of Yumi without any other witnesses but Maria-sama, to tell the brunette that she, Rosa Chinensis to be, would be willing to break with Lillian's most important tradition, forsaking her right to make someone her petitie soeur?

Not receiving a response back from Yumi, Sachiko probed, "Could you stick around?" and watched Yumi's gears turning again as she thought about Sei and Shimako, Rei and Yoshino, Youko and Eriiko.

Then there it was: _If we want her to reach adulthood_ , repeating over and over again in the girl's mind as she watched Sachiko stand in front of her silently, her dark hair moving softly to the night breeze; her eyes, two sapphires, glimmering and intently, though patiently, watching and waiting for Yumi's response.

Accepting the invitation and not allowing those girls to enter her life would be like being handed a glass of water in the dead of summer and not drinking it. It would be like opening up a piano's fallboard and not touching the ivory keys.

 _If we want her to reach adulthood_ , Yumi brought a hand to her chest and held on to her sailor collar, a feverish heat taking over her body. Was it worth it? – To let those girls in her life? To allow herself to make plans for the future, and to be part of different plays, to come in to school early for meetings and to stay after class to make tea for the older onee-samas, and to quarrel like a school girl and then reconcile like a school girl. Was it worth it?

Sachiko's voice was full of worry when she spoke Yumi's name and reached for the girl's cheek, "We can finish this conversation tomorrow," the heiress continued, knowing very well of Yumi's condition.

"No," Yumi said, lifting her head to meet Sachiko's eyes.

It was clear to Yumi that saying yes to Sachiko's request was going to completely change the way her high school life would be from that moment on. Her name would without a doubt be in the next edition of the Lillian Kawaraban and Sachiko wouldn't be able to save her that time like she did when they first met. Though Yumi knew that the Yamayurikai girls would protect her with nails and teeth. Surrendering namelessness in order to find protection was a wild thought.

"I accept," Yumi answered Sachiko's question at last – she was already knees-deep into that mess like Shimako had said before, anyway.

###

Yoshino had been up for a while – a long while that is. The hospital bed wasn't the most comfortable in her opinion, and the food wasn't that great either, so between the ache on her back and the rumble in her stomach, sleeping had been ruled out for the time being.

She turned on the light to look at the clock mounted on the wall by the T.V. and the old thing read 6:15, which meant she had gotten about three hours of sleep – that couldn't be good for someone with heart issues…

Reaching for the nightstand, she grabbed a paperback from the stack of books neatly arranged into two piles. She read chapter three of the novel Rei had given her not even two days prior to her having another _episode,_ then toward the middle of chapter four her mind started to wander. She looked at the old clock again, cursing it for being so loud.

 _Tick-tock, tick-tock._

She closed the book and tossed it to the side of her bed, then she heard footsteps passing her door hastily. _There might have been an accident,_ she thought, _maybe a car crash or a pregnant woman going into labor_. _Maybe someone with a bad heart needed assistance_ … she sighed defeated – that scenario had already been filled by none but herself.

Yoshino stood up and looked down at her thin legs as she slipped her indoor shoes on, _Rei-chan's legs are three times the size of mine_ , she though.

 _Rei-chan is an idiot_. How cold someone look so strong on the outside and be a big pile of mush on the inside?

 _Baka._

Wallet and phone safe and secured inside her pocket, she pushed the door open and when the fluorescent lights abused here vision, she closed one eye, making a very un-lady-like face until she could see properly again.

A turn here, a turn there led her to the cafeteria. Walking straight to the hot water, she started to make herself a cup of tea, though what she really wanted was coffee, but Maria-sama forbid someone saw her having caffeine.

She sat down by a window letting the tea bag steep; her saucer atop of the mug so to retain the oils from the leaves – not covering the tea as it brewed was a sin to Yoshino. She looked outside, the sun still nowhere to be seen, annoying the girl to no end even though it was the Earth's fault for not rotating fast enough. She wondered if there were people out there wishing for the sun not to come up; if there were, they were winning. She was always a loser, after all.

Yoshino thought of Rei again.

 _Idiot._

How in the world could someone be so oblivious? Could Rei not see that all Yoshino wanted was to be strong enough to walk side-by-side with Rei? Yoshino was done being carried when her legs failed to take her places because that muscles stored inside the frail ribcage was simply too weak to allow her to press on.

The brunette moved the saucer underneath her cup; lifting the tea bag from the liquid, she squeezed it and sat it atop of the saucer. The tea had turned the water a dark shade of red; the smell of berries tickled her nose right before her first sip. And it was good, but not great…

 _How fitting_ , she thought. Everything was almost there, almost perfect, almost happy, almost healthy.

Almost.

She stood, grabbing the saucer, cup and spoon, lamely walking toward the dirty dish area, then she sat the cup on the counter and a young guy looked at the cup full of tea and back at Yoshino who mouthed a "sorry," hanging her head down and walking away.

As her stomach rubbed against itself eliciting a growl to the empty cafeteria, she grabbed a bottle of water from a cooler and then asked the cook for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She twisted the lid to the water bottle, removing the broken seal from around its neck and proceeded to chew on the plastic ring while her breakfast was being prepared. Once she received the sad sandwich on top of the even sadder off-white, plastic plate, she moved slowly back to the seat she had just left. The sun was then poking through the mountains and Yoshino looked at the various shadows the small light poking through the mountains made.

She took a bite of her sandwich.

 _Smooth peanut butter_. Didn't they know about texture? Everything was mushy…

 _Mushy like Rei-chan._

Yoshino kept on chewing the sweet bread discouraged until she heard a small cup being carefully placed on the table, then she looked up not very sure of what was going on.

"It's my break," the dishwasher said.

"…"

"So…" He proceeded, "I'm going to sit here with this coffee and pretend I'm speaking with you, then I'm going to walk away, but the coffee will stay. I already sweetened it so you don't have to worry about the sugar," he finished.

"But…"

"You have been eyeing the coffee every time you walk into this cafeteria, though you insist in getting tea and then you don't drink it…. So I brought you what you really want."

Yoshino's eyes were but two slithers when she looked up, "this might kill me."

"But you might also live…" And at that, he pushed himself up from the chair and walked away, leaving the mug behind; steam still coming from the hot liquid.

As the guy disappeared through a door which read 'Employees Only,' Yoshino looked around at the empty dining area, then she dragged the saucer toward her and took in the incredible aroma of the freshly brewed coffee. She looked around for a second time, then she lifted the mug toward her lips with anticipation; the flavor of the beans perfectly (overly) sweetened. Yoshino sat back, then leaned forward again to grab the saucer. _I might live,_ she thought then looked back outside; the sun had finally risen. Whether she had watched or not, the Earth continued to move, even when Yoshino wasn't paying attention.

Finishing her coffee, she reached for her phone and went through her contacts before pressing the call button. When the line connected, she took a deep breath and spoke, "Hello, my name is Shimazu Yoshino, Lillian high school division student, I apologize for bothering you so early, but may I speak with Yumi-san, please?

"This is Yumi speaking. How can I help you, Yoshino-san?"

"Ah! Yumi-san, I'm so glad you were the one who answered the phone!" Yoshino was definitely more than relieved.

Yumi had heard through the grapevine about Yoshino's illness and how being in and out of the hospital had made the girl's life a bit difficult as far as creating and maintaining relationships. Save for Rei and the Yamayurikai girls, Yoshino had no friends and remained an enigma to many of her classmates. "Everything okay?" Yumi asked, knowing very well that everything being okay would have been a bit of a stretch.

"Yes," Yoshino politely lied. "I…" she paused for a second in hesitation, but decided if she didn't ask for help, then people wouldn't know she needed the push, "I was wondering if we could talk sometime today?"

"Sure."

And just like that Yumi found herself knocking on Yoshino's door at the hospital, a small bouquet of flowers in one hand and hopefully some answers to Yoshino's questions.

As expected Yoshino explained her condition to Yumi then went on to ask the brunette questions about her own surgery, which Yumi answered to the best of her abilities. When silence finally found its way into the room, Yoshino bit her bottom lip.

"What is it? Yumi asked.

"It's nothing…"

"It's clearly something..."

"…"

"Spill it out, Yoshino-san. I know there's more…"

Yoshino took in a deep breath before continuing, "If I have the surgery, then Onee-sama will end up not going to school and even worse, she'll choose me over her Kendo tournament..."

"Can you not just tell her to stop being stupid?"

Yoshino leaned forward on her bed, her rosary, stubbornly dangling free in front of the small girl, "She's an idiot, Yumi-san."

Yumi looked at the dark-green emerald sitting atop of Yoshino's chest; no one could deny it was a beautiful piece – Rei had good taste.

"Well then, return the rosary to Rei-san," Yumi finally said.

###

"You will have 45 minutes to find the cards the Roses hid within this campus," Minako said into the microphone, then counted down from five before screaming, "Go!" and the roses watched the crowd disperse as quickly as one could have said Yamayurikai.

Ten minutes later Minako walked up to Yoshino and Yumi, telling them they could look for the cards as well. While Yoshino took off running toward the gym, Yumi slowly made her way across the stage, finding Shimako on the other side.

"Why don't you go look for the red card?" Shimako asked Yumi.

"To win a date with Ogasawara-san?" Yumi answered with another question.

"Wouldn't that be nice?"

"Don't you think she's a bit too much?"

"She's… difficult to say the least, but she doesn't mean any harm."

"I guess..." Yumi didn't want to make things awkward for Shimako, knowing that the blonde was Sachiko's friend. "Also…" she tried to quickly find another topic, "I wouldn't like all of them following me around."

"Them?"

Yumi pointed at the swarm of girls who were clearly following Yoshino.

"Oh," Shimako mumbled.

"Yeah. That's not for me…"

The two friends kept on talking until Minako's voice was heard through the school's speakers, "Time is up, return to the Rose Mansion," she commanded, and once again the front of the Rose Mansion was flooded by Lillian students. They screamed as loud as they could when Chisato ran to the stage holding a Yellow card, then again when Shizuka made her way, ever so gracefully, through the crowd before she handed Shimako her white card.

"Did anyone find the red card?" Minako asked and at the lack of response, she asked again, "red card, anyone?"

"…"

"Well, I guess we don't really have a winner for Sachiko-san's date..." Minako said into the microphone and received sounds of disappointment from the crowd. She then turned to Sachiko, "Can you show us where you hid your card, Sachiko-san?"

"Yes."

"Okay! Let's g—"

"However…"

"…"

"Before I show you where the card is, I'd like to ask if Yumi wanted to have a shot at it."

Minako brought down the microphone, whispering something into Sachiko's ear and at the girl's nod, the President of the newspaper spoke again, "Yumi-chan!" she looked at Yumi who was still standing by Shimako and had been joined by – a quite annoyed – Yoshiko, "wanna have a try?"

Yumi couldn't say no in front of all of the girls screaming, "Yumi! Yumi! Yumi!"

"Alright," she mumbled, looking at Sachiko for a long while before her feet led her down the stage and onto the concrete path. She walked slowly passing the administration building and went around, not cutting through, the gym as she didn't want everybody to know she had a secret way to getting to her final destination.

Yumi didn't say anything or made eye contact with anyone before pushing the door to the green house open, then she walked toward where the tools were and picked up a small trowel. The brunette looked at Sachiko at last, and smiled when she stopped in front of the biggest Rosa Chinensis bush, "if it's not here, then I don't know where it would be," she said before she started to dig.

Yumi had to dig a quite deep hole before she unearthed the card which had been carefully placed into a reclosable plastic bag. "Here," she handed the baggie to Minako.

"Are you kiddin' me?!" the newspaper's President looked at Sachiko stunned, "Did you know where the card was all along, Yumi-chan?" she turned to the brunette.

"Nope."

"So you're saying you didn't cheat…"

"How would I have cheated, Minako-sama?!" Yumi asked.

"You didn't follow Sachiko around when she was hiding the ca—"

"Minako-sama!" Sachiko interrupted, "I can assure you, Yumi is honest to a fault and has been nothing but a great help to the Yamayurikai – a blessing even." Sachiko took a step closer to Yumi and wrapped an arm around the brunette's neck.

Yumi felt Sachiko's warmth permeate her body like a shockwave. It hadn't been the first time Sachiko had been that close to Yumi; however, it was the very first time that warmth had reached the brunette's heart with such power and it felt genuine, familiar and comfortable, making Yumi's skin beg for that arm to remain there indeterminably.

Minako bowed deeply, apologizing to Sachiko before turning around and addressing the crowd, "Yumi-chan has found the red card. Nevertheless, since she found the card after the allotted time given to everybody, the date can only happen if Rosa Chinensis en bouton asks Yumi privately." And just like that, the crowd went wild again chanting Yumi's name and making the brunette's cheeks turn beet red.

If that wasn't embarrassing enough, Yumi felt Sachiko's arm move from around her neck back to her side, allowing the raven-haired girl to claim Yumi's hand into hers. Fingers entwined, she whispered into Yumi's ear in front of a green house full of girls, "You can't say no now," the giggle that escaped her lips afterwards was adorably soft, deliberately quiet so only Yumi could hear, and the brunette couldn't slake the immediate longing she felt for more of those incredible sighs.

###

Yumi blamed no one but her stubborn self for the situation she had found herself in that Friday. It was cold in the infirmary and she brought the thin bed sheet toward her face trying to cover up her nose and ears, and from behind the bedding she heard hurriedly steps and then watched Sachiko use the doorframe to stop her forward motion before pushing herself into the nurse's office all the while looking around until she found a pair of tired brown orbs staring at her.

"Yumi!"

"Hai…"

"Are you okay?! Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine. I'm fine…Why do you have to be so loud?"

"…"

"How did you…"

"Shimako and Tsutako found me not long ago and let me know you were here."

At that Yumi had finally remembered the two girls carrying her to the infirmary after she fainted while trying to answer a math question in class that morning. Then she thought about how pitiful she probably looked when her knees buckled and she –not very gracefully– half fell half sat down in an embarrassing attempt to avoid further injuries. The last thing Yumi wanted was to add brain damage to the list of things she needed to worry about.

"Now that you say that, I think they were the ones who helped me get here…"

"You are being too casual about this!"

"Then please, tell me what would be the best way to handle this, Ogasawara-san…"

"I don't know, Yumi…" Sachiko uncovered Yumi's face and cupped her cheek carefully, "I just want you to be okay…" Although the heiress' hand was cold, the contact did nothing but to cover Yumi's entire body with a wonderful warmth, and for a moment, the brunette forgot that Sachiko was Ogasawara Sachiko, allowing the heiress to simply be a friend who – for some strange reason – cared about Yumi.

It was true that the brunette was tired; that week had been incredibly hard for her – wanting to help with the farewell for the Roses had turned into something much larger than she was expecting. Much like with everything else, Yumi tried to carry the world on her shoulders and she was learning the hard way that sometimes help was simply necessary. Tired, hungry and embarrassed, she finally let her armor down, closing her eyes and leaning into Sachiko's cold palm.

Breathing in a long sigh, Yumi let Sachiko share that small burden with her, and the heiress stood her ground, unshaken, resolute, until after a while the whole weight of Yumi's head was Sachiko's sole responsibility.

"She worked too hard and didn't get enough sleep…" The nurse whispered to Sachiko, who slowly and carefully placed Yumi's head on the pillow then covered the girl back up.

"You guys don't have exams until next month… so what has she been up to?"

"All kinds of things, nurse. All kinds of things…"

* * *

A/N: 1/22 - corrected typo (because God forbid I can edit this shit properly...) -.-


	12. The Truth Is

A/N: If you're used to my writing, you know there's more to this...

There's cursing in this chapter... I thought it was necessary - I would have cursed, too.

Furano's flower fields will come up again and again, because they are wonderful...

Lastly, I do not know what color the Drama Club's building was, there is a reason why I chose blue, however.

* * *

"The discoloration where the chain was repaired is minimal, do you see it, Riko-chan?" Takuya pointed to the juzu with pliers while holding it underneath a mounted magnifying glass."

"Do you think there's a way to avoid that blemish?" Noriko asked.

"I'm yet to see that being done…"

"I see…" Noriko was a bit sad to learn that some pieces would never be perfect again.

"Even the Buddha figure inside the shattered bead looks incredible, without a magnifying glass, nobody would be able to tell the difference. The bead is almost flawless."

"Almost…" Noriko emphasized.

"Unless we find an entire new bead, this juzu will just have to live with its imperfections."

"Isn't that a shame, though?" Noriko asked.

"It is…" Takuya answered, "but this hasn't been its first time being repaired," he added, "…look," he brought the pliers toward another portion of the praying beads, "they used a different type of metal to mend this ring."

"I see," Noriko looked at Takuya and shook her head, "I don't get how people would damage such a relic…"

"Things happen, Riko-chan."

The brunette carefully placed the rare praying beads into its blue baggie and tied a knot carefully before handing it to Takuya, "Whoever threw this juzu was lucky that only that one bead was broken."

"You're assuming the juzu was thrown?" Takuya asked.

"That much damage could have only been done by someone throwing it against a wall or floor…"

"You think so?"

"The way that bead shattered, Takyua-kun! That's too much damage for a simple accident…"

Takuya opened the bag to take a last look at the juzu, then looped the ribbon around its bag and sat it carefully on his desk. "Accident or not, you're delivering it."

"I guess I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Not when my toes are still purple."

"I can't believe you're gonna make me wake up at the crack of dawn on a Sunday…"

"Thank you, Riko-chan!"

"Whatever. The fact that I say yes to these requests of yours is beyond me…"

"You love every second of it, admit it!"

"Yup. I love every second of these directions you gave me: train hop twice, then take bus deep into the country then walk for miles and miles. Yes. I love it all."

Takuya laughed at Noriko's feigned annoyance, though he knew she appreciated the places she was able to see and the people she was able to meet by agreeing to work for the old man.

###

The scorching sun of late summer had finally met its match: the strong breeze which came with the first days of fall. The overlapping was nothing more than another nuance of the Tokyo weather Noriko loved so much. At that point in August one started their day wearing a jacket, stored it during the day and then finished their night wearing it again.

It was yet another Friday afternoon and it had been one of those weeks for Noriko, though the day wasn't over yet. She was foreseeing a long afternoon ahead of her; not because of the work she was coerced into doing –ironically not by Takuya that time – but because of the people she needed to deal with. Well… more like the one person she'd have to deal with.

Out of all of the new friends Noriko had acquired, Touko had been the one who was the most reserved. She and Kanako talked often and even Nana had opened up to Noriko a great deal. Touko, though, was hard to read – no wonder Kanako was having all kinds of issues trying to convey her feelings! _She has the personality of a rock_ , Noriko thought when she crossed Lillian's gate for the second time in less than a month. Then she mumbled a "May Maria-sama provide me with patience," when she walked by Mother Mary's statue on her way to the Rose Mansion.

Noriko looked at her watch before pushing the Rose Mansion's door open, it was quarter past the hour and for the first time in a long time she was actually glad she missed the train which would had gotten her to Lillian exactly at the top of the hour.

What was a feeling of relief quickly turned into annoyance at Touko's greeting, "You're late…"

"Gokingenyou, Touko-san," Noriko said, having to hold her tongue with all of her might no to say _gokigen-the fuck-you to you, too_. It was difficult to imagine spending almost an hour alone with Matsudaira Touko before being saved by someone – anyone, _just please, come soon!_ Noriko would be forever thankful to whoever showed up first to rescue her from Touko.

"Gokigenyou, Noriko-san…"

 _See. It wasn't that difficult!_ Noriko thought. "How can I be of service?" she asked not really getting why it was so important to get the Rose Mansion ready for their friend's return. Couldn't they just go get dinner at her favorite restaurant then find a bar and get shit-faced?

Plus, according to Sei, Shimako wouldn't be home until Sunday anyway… Noriko just couldn't understand why they were in such a rush!

"We need to put this banner up and then figure out where to hang all of the decorations and then set up the table… It's going to take forever…" Touko said discouraged.

"But we'll have help, right?" Noriko just needed reassurance somebody else would show up to help – save her from Touko.

"Yes," Touko said in the most monotone voice one was able to produce.

"We'll get the banner situated first… Can you reach the top of the wall if you stand on a chair?" Noriko asked, and received a glare from Touko. Perhaps Matsudaira Drill Bit was able to understand jokes? Was she more human than a rock, though? Noriko wasn't so sure about that yet.

"You're not that much taller than me, you know!"

Noriko smiled, and trying to feel the waters she said, "I'm not as tall as Kanako-san, but definitely taller than you."

"Kanako is an aberration."

The flat tone in which that sentence was spoken didn't help Noriko at all, so she decided to take a different approach, "Touko-san…"

"Yes," Touko answered as she lunged atop of a chair and brought the welcome back banner up to the top of the wall.

"Do you really see Kanako-san in that light?"

"I… was joking."

"You're hard to read."

"You don't say that…."

"Case in point!"

Touko pressed a thumbtack down to affix the top corner of the banner to the wall, then turned to face Noriko for a long while before saying, "I'm not hard to read, you're the one overcomplicating things."

"Not even Kanako-san knows how to read you and she's in love with you," Noriko blurted out and immediately regretted not thinking before speaking, "Fuck!" she let go of the banner to cover her mouth. Just by looking at Touko standing in front of her, quiet as a mouse, her face, pale like she had seen a ghost, Noriko knew she had opened up Pandora's box, "Shit!" she added before stepping down the chair.

"Noriko-san…"

"Oh my God!" Noriko couldn't believe herself. "I didn't have the right to say any—"

"I know…"

"You know what?"

"..."

"You fucking know?!"

"Language!"

"You're saying you fucking know she likes you?!"

"Language, Noriko-san!"

"Fuck language!" Noriko said and waited for Touko to get down from her chair before continuing, "How long have you known that the girl likes you?!"

Touko sat on the chair she was standing on and brought her hands together, interlacing her fingers, "Ever since the looks started to linger a little longer than what is deemed appropriate and the accidental touches became more frequent. Ever since the weekly e-mails became biweekly phone calls and those developed into daily text messages before they turned into multiple messages every day. Ever since she saw me drunk for the first time and then helped me when I got sick that same night. Since the first time she held my hand in a hospital corridor when I thought I was going to lose my mother… Is that enough for you?" Touko clenched her jaw, feeling her throat tighten ever so slowly with every sentence she uttered to Noriko, who just stood there quietly, allowing Touko's tears to roll down her face, freely and unashamed for a change.

"When are you going to tell her?"

"Who's telling whom what?"

"Why wouldn't you tell her you know?"

"And then what?" Touko asked.

"Then you tell her you like her, too?" Noriko probed since she had a hunch.

"What makes you think I like her?"

"You wouldn't be crying if you didn't… You wouldn't be worried if you didn't… You wouldn't be keeping track of eye contact, touches and all of the little things you keep track of when it comes down to Kanako-san if you didn't love her, too."

"Is it that obvious?" Touko sounded discouraged.

"To me, yes. To Kanako-san, you're clearly still a mystery…"

"I can't tell her."

"And why the fuck not?!"

Touko had given up on trying to stop the un-lady-like language Noriko was using; she simply looked at the dark-haired girl and said flatly, "She deserves better."

"Better?" Noriko questioned, perplexed.

"I believe we all know I'm not the most delightful person to be around…"

"Kanako-san thinks otherwise."

"But she deserver better…"

"Tell me where is she going to find another beautiful, smart and strong girl to love? Give yourself some credit and go be happy before she settles for someone who's half the woman you are!"

"It's not that easy!"

"Not that easy?"

"It's not!" Touko cried again. There was desperation in her voice, a strange emptiness in her chest, a homesick feeling in her stomach. Then the thought of Kanako flooded her mind; long dark tresses, deep blue eyes, and a smile that could mollify Touko's heart like no other –not even Yumi's– could. And if that wasn't enough beating for a technical win, Noriko went for the K.O. "I never took you for a coward."

"To hell with you, Noriko!" Touko said a bit louder than Noriko expected, consciously not adding the honorific to make a point, then she ran out the biscuit door and the Noriko could hear the thumping on the stairs as Touko sprinted down, then the front door closed with a loud bang that made the entire structure of the old house shake.

Noriko let Touko go without running after her. She figured it was better if she let the girl alone for a while to digest the things she probably wasn't ready to hear.

Love was an interesting concept to Noriko; true love, that is, not the infatuation which leads to desire and then fades away with time. Though, when Noriko thought of love, she thought of passion of course, but she also thought of commitment and respect. She saw it as looking far in the depths of another's heart during their worst days and not being wavered by the darkness.

Lately, when she thought of love; however, she thought of Furano and its fields of flowers: withstanding storms, braving the seasons, evolving and transforming, yet always there and there to stay.

Love took strength and courage.

###

The banner went up with just a tiny bit of difficulty. Noriko made three trips down the stairs to bring up a big box full of decorations first, then grocery bags and finally a box of really nice looking China wrapped carefully, one by one, in bubble wrap. She was unwrapping the last few items from that box and readying herself to wash them when Yumi pushed the door open with her rear.

"Gokigenyou, Riko-chan!"

"G-gokigenyou, Yumi-san," Noriko answered, already knowing the questions that followed the strange look in Yumi's face when she noticed Touko wasn't anywhere to be found.

"Did you and Touko have a fight?"

"Ah. Uh…." Noriko choked.

"Touko can be hard to handle sometimes. Go on, tell us," and at the "us," Sachiko walked in, carrying bags in both hands. "Was Touko mean to you?" she asked, already assuming the worst.

"I…" deep breath once, deep breath twice, and "I think I was too rough on her, actually."

"That's preposterous," Sachiko smiled.

"I called her out on Kanako-san liking her…"

"Yikes!" Yumi scrunched her face as if she was in pain.

"How long ago was that?" Sachiko asked, no traces of worry in her voice.

"About half-an-hour ago…"

"You should go find her and talk it out."

"Talk what out?" Sei walked in with Kanako in tow.

"Noriko talked about Kanako-chan with Touko." Yumi answered, scrunching her face once again when Kanako squealed, "About me?!"

Hanging her head down Noriko apologized, "Sorry, Kanako-san…"

"Whelp… I guess the cat is out of the bag now…" Kanako mumbled.

"It's been out of the bag for a while now, Kanako-chan," Sei had to add.

"Yeah, Kanako-san… she totally knows…" Noriko scratched the back of her head to the likes of Sei.

Kanako was surprisingly speechless for a while, and seeing that reminded Noriko of when people used to say love is blind. And really, in that situation love was not blind in the sense of 'oh it's just a little astigmatism, let's find them a pair of glasses,' that love was blind like in 'let's head to the disabilities center because this is bad,' type of love.

"I-I gotta go find her!" Kanako said frantically once she had finally found her voice again, though Yumi stopped the girl before she started to run, "Noriko has to go first, though."

"But why?"

"But why?"

Came the unison rebuke from both Noriko and Kanako.

"First of all, Noriko, you broke it, you fix it. So you go first. Then Kanako goes. And when you go, Kanako, you tell her everything. It's about time for you two to resolve whatever it is that's going on between you," Yumi finished.

"But I don't even know where she is!"

"Yumi looked at Noriko and smiled, "She sprinted toward the blue building to your left trying to reach the acting club," then Kanako picked up from there, "But she stopped right after she passed the big Sakura tree that was accidentally planted with the gingkoes and she is most likely lying on the grass behind that blue building."

"That sounds about right!" Yumi chuckled.

At that, Noriko walked out and the girls heard the creak on the stairs then the soft click of the door being closed.

"That was weird," Sei said.

"That sounded exactly like Shimako…" Sachiko added.

"Shi-Shimako is not even here yet!" Sei mumbled awkwardly.

The Rose Mansion had been left behind and Noriko headed to the blue building she was instructed to walk toward. For a second Noriko thought she had gone into another dimension where time and space meant nothing; it was the green grass and the perfectly shaped trees and the old brick buildings which were maintained with such care, they looked only a few years old; it was the two girls in uniform who walk by her, "Gokigenyou," they greeted Noriko, assuming the girl was an alumna, "Gokigenyou," Noriko smiled back.

The brunette wondered how that dress would have looked on her – in high school she wouldn't have filled a size small – she looked down and figured she wouldn't be able to fill a size small then either.

When the path bifurcated, Noriko simply veered left, the blue building standing tall at the end of that walkway. She shoved both hands deep into her pockets, and thought about how to start a conversation with Touko. _You broke it, you fix it,_ she thought, _what the fuck?_

She looked to the right and left to make sure she was alone, "Hey Touko-san…" Noriko whispered to herself.

"Sorry I told you Kanako-san likes you, Touko-san."

"Sorry I mentioned Kanako-san's feelings, Touko-san."

"Sorry Kanako-san likes you…"

"Ugh!"

"Sorry, Tou—"

"Fuck!"

She looked down and kicked a rock, "Fuck!"

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! Way to just fuck shit up, Noriko… Way to go!"

Noriko kept walking, following the path toward the drama club, though also looking for the Sakura amongst the gingkoes, just to make sure she wouldn't miss Touko, then she finally saw it: the deep, dark-green leaves of the one Yoshino Sakura amongst the various gingko bilobas. Noriko's legs moved on their own, still toward the blue building but with a different destination. Touko would have to wait, because at that second, Noriko's heart beat for that cherry blossom tree.

Even in the summer, without its trademark light-pink leaves, the Sakura still stood out amongst the gingkoes. Noriko pressed forward, eyes stuck to the crown of that gorgeous tree and when she brought her gaze down toward the trunk, she hastily halted her steps and her breath was instantly taken away. She blinked once, twice, three times, though she couldn't shake Furano's fields of flowers from her vision. Perhaps Lillian indeed disagreed with time and space, after all, because there they were: hydrangea, irises, sunflowers and lavender, all in their brightest, most vivid colors.

And amongst those flowers Maria-sama stood, hands against the trunk of the cherry blossom, head down as if praying – not for, but with the tree. Then it was spring, summer and fall all at once when the leaves of that cherry blossom turned light-pink and started to fall ever so gently with the breeze.

"Gokigenyou," Maria-sama spoke when she finally realized Noriko had joined her.

"…"

"This cherry tree is lovely, isn't it?" Loose hazelnut-colored curls flowed gently with the wind and then Maria-sama smiled earnestly, making Noriko's heart flutter.

"…"

"Do you see it, too?" she asked, "The spring leaves?"

Noriko nodded yes.

"How wonderful!"

"…"

"…Was the Sakura tree so beautiful that you forgot?"

"Huh?"

"How to speak…"

"I… j-just remembered," Noriko answered.

"What a relief! I was afraid we wouldn't be able to speak although we were both invited by her."

Mustering all of the courage within herself Noriko asked, "D-do you also see the flowers?"

"Just like Furano… but I don't quite understand why. It's the first time I see them here."

"You've been to Furano?" Noriko asked awkwardly.

"Many, many times."

"I see…"

"Have you?"

"Once."

Then a stronger breeze hit and out of a sudden all of the light-pink leaves blew away, prompting Maria-sama to ask, "D-do you have the time?"

"It's four… five to four."

"Really? Then I have to go," she mumbled something about a meeting she needed to attend and walked away, the loose curls bouncing against her back.

Just like that Noriko was alone again, and she wondered if all of that was a vision, a figment of her imagination, only there because she couldn't get Furano off her mind.

When a second gust of wind hit the brunette, she closed her eyes and waited there until it subsided, when she reopen them and looked up, the blue building still stood in front of her, _Touko!_ she thought, immediately running toward the drama club, until she saw Touko lying on the grass with Kanako kneeling by her.

 _Guess I'll have to fix it later_ , she thought and started the slow trek back toward the Rose Mansion.

Once inside the old house, she heard laughter coming from upstairs, and those giggles quickly filled Noriko's heart with an incredible sense of belonging.

Noriko walked up the stairs and pushed the biscuit door open to be greeted with more flowers.

And Maria-sama.

"Ah! Noriko-chan!" Yumi started, "This is—"

"Todou Shimako, correct?" Noriko said quickly, extending her hand to shake Shimako's.

Shimako greeted the girl, her voice but a whisper, "Gokigenyou, Noriko-chan"

"Gokigenyou, Shimako-sama."

If just by being in the same room as Maria-sama the ground had suddenly disappeared from beneath Noriko's feet, losing all of the air in her lungs was nothing but expected when her hand finally touched Shimako's.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading!


	13. Currents

A/N: This chapter wraps up the first part of this story :)

Thank you for reading!

* * *

While Sunday mornings usually consisted in sleeping in until her body couldn't rest any longer, that particular Sunday morning, Noriko was - for the most part – up, thanks to Takuya's purple toes which kept the old guy from delivering the recently repaired juzu.

Noriko fought hard to keep her eyes open as she tried to handle the coffee maker, though to think that even Sumireko was asleep at that second made the girl regret having said yes to Takuya's request. _Train and bus and walking, what was I thinking?_ In any case, it was too late to back down and hopefully coffee and shower would wake her up.

In all truthfulness, the dark-haired girl had tried for a while to make Takuya mail the pieces which had been repaired to their respective owners, but the old man was adamant about the hand-delivery of the antiques. One might have guessed that it was a simple matter of making sure those people's treasures would make it home safely; add the fact that Takuya also liked to talk to people and there you had it: the weirdest businessman ever.

Takuya was a weird man, but wasn't she weird also? _Who's normal,_ she asked herself, still staring at the coffee maker like it would fill itself up with water and coffee ground. _Yumi-sama is normal –well, kind of normal, at least. But kind of doesn't count!_

 _Sachiko-sama is norm— yeah, no._

 _Sei-sama is... nope._

She thought of Youko, who by default couldn't be normal because… Sei. But then there was Kanako and Touko… perhaps a week prior to that Sunday Noriko would have considered the friends normal – not anymore, though. Then there were Rei and Yoshino, and there was also Shimako… All she knew about Shimako was that she was a daughter of a Buddhist Priest, who had this insane idea of becoming a nun, then tried it out and decided that wasn't for her, after all. _That wasn't normal, either,_ Noriko reasoned.

"What in Maria-sama are you doing, Noriko-chan?" Sumireko barely whispered, afraid she'd wake a sleepwalking Noriko.

"Whaaah! Sumireko-san!" Not even Sumireko's quietness could have kept Noriko from shrieking.

"You've been staring at the coffee maker for the past five minutes! I was worried!"

"Sumireko-san!"

Sumireko looked at the girl in front of her for a long time, her bangs swept all to one side, her pajama pants, twisted up and way above her waist, "Get out of my kitchen, Riko."

"Bu—"

"Out of the kitchen, for the love of Maria-sama!" Sumireko said before she couldn't hold her laugh anymore, her eyes filling up with tears, "Get out, take a really good at yourself in the mirror, then shower and come down when you're at least half-awake," she finished between fits of giggles then watched as Noriko simply obliged, turning around and slowly making her way back up the stairs without saying a word.

Noriko walked into the bathroom she shared with Sumireko and did what she was asked to do: she looked at herself. Seeing everything Sumireko had noticed earlier, Noriko chuckled first then laughed hard and loud enough Sumireko heard it from the kitchen.

Takuya definitely owed her.

Leaning toward the mirror, she examined herself and the soft lines which comprised a face she did not dislike too much, Noriko remembered hearing someone mention she resembled a traditional Japanese doll, and since then that was what she saw when she looked at her reflection. _Shimako-san looks like a doll, too, one of those antique western-style dolls, that is_ , she thought. And that face, with the gray eyes and the thin lips and the hazelnut hair with the perfectly curled ends had been the reason why Noriko hadn't had much sleep the night before – the bags under her eyes, a tangible reminder of the night she spent trying to pacify the butterflies in her chest, much like a lion-tamer would a wild animal.

Noriko undressed, finally looking down and realizing that not only her pajama pants were all the way up pass her waist, but her shins, white as they came, had also been exposed to the world -Sumireko- to see. She chuckled again.

Try as she might, Noriko couldn't erase Shimako from her thoughts, she couldn't shake off the sound of the girl's voice, her smile, the way her hands moved, calmly even when the subject of the conversation was more animated; every move of hers, premeditated and studied before performed; those hands, impeccably manicured, with perfectly shaped nails covered with the lightest coat of clear polish. All the while, Noriko's hands, dry and cut up, – thanks, Takuya, for a million paper cuts – with cuticles that ate her nails like they had been hungry from conception, flailed in the air erratically when she tried to answer questions addressed to her that night. _It's okay,_ she remembered the stuttering and the awkwardness, making her cheeks flush at the simple thought of her trying to keep up with the conversations when she couldn't even keep up with her own thoughts. _They thought it was because of Touko-san,_ she reasoned.

Noriko knew that at some point she still had to apologize to Touko for opening her mouth about Kanako and for being a complete asshole about Touko's decision to not pursue Kanko romantically. Even though Noriko still couldn't understand why the Matsudaira heiress would simply turn her back to a spark that was dying to become a forest fire, the brunette had to respect Touko's choice. She truly hoped; however, that Kanako could wiggle her way out of that mess somehow unscathed. Nevertheless, Noriko had a strange feeling that Kanako wanted nothing but to be in the middle of that maelstrom.

###

Little did Noriko know that Kanako had closed the Rose Mansion's door behind her not even five minutes after Noriko left to go find Touko. As much as Yumi begged for the tall girl to wait a bit longer so to give Noriko more time to speak with Touko, Kanako couldn't help herself. The interesting thing; however, was that the feeling of anticipation which had flooded her chest was by no means something she had predicted happening that day.

Buying time was all Kanako tried to do for a long while; time to watch Touko become Rosa Chinensis, to watch her as she walked up to the stage to pick up her diploma when she graduated from Lillian, time to see the excitement in the always-stoic girl's eyes after her first day of medical school; time to laugh with Touko and cry with Touko, time to sit just a tiny bit closer to the girl in hopes she could feel her warmth, to _accidentally_ brush her fingertips against Touko's knuckles, before uttering an unapologetic "sorry". Also time to prepare, for she knew, not in her wildest dreams, Touko could be hers.

And such time simply went by mercilessly, leaving Kanako with mere memories. Memories of Touko leading the way as they sprinted across campus, the girl's twin pigtails bouncing against her back, the softness of her hand on Kanako's wrist, and she could still hear Touko scream at the top of her lungs as they reached the gates of Lillian for the last time, "We're finally done!" Kanako found herself always standing by Touko, always finding the small girl amongst the largest crowds – who needed eyes when Kanako's heart could only see Matsudaira Touko?

As she slowly made her way toward the building which housed the Drama Club, more memories flooded Kanako's mind. Closing her eyes, the tall girl saw Touko sitting alone in a cold hospital isle, tears slowly rolling down her face when she looked up to address Kanako with a simple "hey." And with that one unassuming word, one syllable, one monotone greeting, Touko shattered the last of Kanako's resolve to fight her own heart against what was already a lost contest. By allowing Touko in, Kanako was also flipping the switch on a time bomb which was bound to explode sooner or later, and when it did, Kanako knew she would be the only one who would get hurt.

Buying time then became a survival tactic, a way to protect her own heart, and to allow herself to have another day with Touko, another phone call, another text message, another snap picture of Touko smiling in her room with no make-up on, in her pajamas; the same caption every time: _Dr. Matsudaira out._

As the pathways diverged and she pressed on toward the blue building in front of her, Kanako chuckled; everybody had a special power, something nobody else could do or see or say; Kanako had Touko. And as Kanako walked pass the trail which led to the one Sakura tree amongst the gingkoes, she came to the realization that she was running out of pebbles in the hourglass of her and Touko's story.

She found Touko exactly where she thought she would be: atop of the large grassy area, right before one reached the Drama Club. Touko's chest raised and fell deliberately, her breaths, as deep as they could have been, and when Kanako said, "Hey," she finally felt the hourglass run out, though like a true Kamikaze, she was ready to drive the plane of her love straight into that bomb.

"Hey," Touko responded, sitting up.

Kanako sat by the shorter girl, "Noriko-san never got to you, huh?"

"No… Was she supposed to?"

"Yumi-sama sent her to speak to you before I could," Kanako said as she wrapped her arms around her legs.

"She must have gotten lost."

"Yeah…"

"…"

Kanako rested her chin atop of her knees before she spoke, "So…" and when Touko remained silent, she decided to continue, "I want you to understand that I expect nothing from this, and when I mean nothing, I mean when we get up from here, we will go back to being nothing to one another… like we were when we first met. Things will be best that way for both of us."

"Kana—"

"I mean it, Touko. You and I know nothing will be the same once we're done here. I know there is nothing I could do or say that will make you change the way you feel for me, and that's completely okay!" Kanako forced a smile before continuing, "Do you remember Valentine's day? When you hid your card inside that stupid Guide to Italy book? I started to laugh and even snorted in the middle of the library because in your hurry you shoved the card right on that page that had a painting of the Sistine Chapel and I couldn't help but remember your stupid comments about how Michelangelo only painted people that added too much cheese to their pasta!"

"Kanako!"

"I love the fact that although you try so hard to be serious, there's always something that ends up making me laugh, which makes you mad, and that makes things hilarious!"

"…"

"Do you remember…" This time Kanako's smile reached her eyes, and she proceeded, "when you locked yourself in the storage room at the Rose Mansion and then couldn't get out? You were screaming bloody murder while Nana was upstairs frantically looking for the spare key to the room to get you out? That stupid key-box had at least a hundred unlabeled keys in it! I was laughing so hard because of your screams, then out of a sudden you decide to climb on top of those boxes and they came crashing down on you!"

"I can't believe you broke that lock with the fire extinguisher!" Touko smiled.

"Could you imagine my panic when I hear you scream, then out of a sudden there's silence then a crazy loud crash? I thought you were dead!"

"Yeah, my pinky will never be the same…" Touko said, looking at her left hand's pinky, which had been smashed by one of the boxes during her failed attempt to climb them and jump through the window.

Kanako couldn't help but chuckle again, "That's the ugliest finger I've ever seen, Touko."

"Oh. Shut up!"

"I want you to know that you made it really hard for me not to adore you…"

"…"

"And for the longest time I tried to stop this falling, fighting this fire in my chest, struggling to pretend that it wasn't it, that it couldn't be it, that it shouldn't be it. It was exhausting, Touko… Then when your mom was in the hospital, and I get there to see I'm the only person you called – myself, instead of Yumi-sama! – That day, I lost the fight with my heart, and I just took the fall…"

"I know."

"You know…"

"Yes."

"And were you ever planning on saying anything?"

"Were _you_?" Touko deadpanned.

"And lose you even sooner?!"

"Who said you would lose me?"

"I know you, Touko."

"…"

"You'll avoid me, you'll stop calling, texting, speaking with me. You'll sit at the farthest seat from me and it will be awkward and blatantly apparent to the others…"

"I will not!"

"You've already started."

"I have not!"

"You haven't looked me in the eyes once yet, Touko."

"It's…" Touko's voice was but a whisper.

Kanako looked around, Lillian had been the place where everything had started, how fitting it would also have been the place it all ended. At least she wouldn't have to fear having to avoid certain places in Tokyo to keep her heart from cracking again; she would gather the broken pieces she could find, leaving the smaller ones within the gates of the school she grew to love so much. It was only fair to leave Lillian a parting gift since the school had presented Kanako with Touko, who was something bigger and better than what she could have ever thought of asking anyone for. "I'm gonna go back now," Kanako said and stood on her feet. As she looked up toward the Rose Mansion, she could swear she saw pink cherry blossom leaves float in the air – perhaps it was Lillian thanking her for leaving some of her heart behind.

Raven tresses swayed from side to side at the swing of Kanako's hips; the girl had grown to be a beautiful young woman who wasn't scared of smiling any longer; who walked with a purpose, back straight, head up high – at least that was how Touko saw Kanako as she walked away, leaving only distance between her and the girl sitting on the grass.

Touko saw herself locked up in a room again, with crumbling walls, instead of boxes, surrounding her and once again, try as she might, Touko couldn't find the strength to climb up the barriers she, herself, had built around her heart. That afternoon; however, Kanako was too far to hear the screaming from Touko's heart; that afternoon, nobody could have rescued Touko.

###

Stepping into the shower Noriko looked at her palms; life, heart, head and fate lines, ashy from being so dry, a busted callous on her ring finger, another one threatening to break by her pinky. As Noriko turned the shower on and the cold water hit her face, she endured it like a fearless warrior, though it wasn't strength, she admitted; it was simply a craven assurance that the water would warm up – there were things Noriko knew would never change, like her feet needing the floor and her lungs needing air. Nevertheless, she was learning that she didn't have to fear change, that though she should be careful, taking risks and stepping out of her boundaries could be extremely rewarding at times: a notebook and an inhaler had brought her and Yumi together, and Yumi had allowed Noriko to be part of something quite special. _Magical even,_ she thought, still trying to explain to herself the true meaning of that word.

Noriko let the warm water soak through her hair, running down her back and as she closed her eyes, she saw Furano again, and there Shimako was also, just like the first time Noriko's eyes landed on the girl; way before she knew who Shimako was, way before she knew her name, way before she was able to learn about her upbringing, her parents' over-protectiveness, and her -not so stupid- high school friends.

She thought of that day once again…

Getting away from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo was nice, though at that time if Noriko had to choose between the quiet solitude of Furano's fields of lavender and the loud giggles and high-pitched squeals of Lillian's Roses, she would have chosen the latter with no hesitation. Nevertheless, according to Takuya, Noriko had to see those colorful fields for herself at least once, "It's life changing," he had said, "It's humbling and empowering at the same time. Your heart will never be the same when you come back," the old man explained before handing Noriko his camera bag.

It was already afternoon when Noriko found herself taking a southbound train from the Asahikawa airport with destination to Furano. What she wasn't counting on was that her legs had an agenda of their own, leading Noriko off the JR Furano train in Flower Land Kami-Furano. It was as if those legs ached for all of the colors and smells from the flower farms Noriko had already passed by while sitting on the window seat of that old train: first Biei's Patchwork Road, then Kanno Farm and finally Shikisai Hill – all of which, ever so wonderful; no wonder the girl's legs decided to act on the their own accord.

The outdoor train station of Kami-Furano led Noriko to a small downtown where the coffee shops, traditional clothing stores, the small farmers' market at the end of the road, absolutely nothing resembled the Japan Noriko grew to know, and she was more than impressed by how humbling it was to be part of that simplicity –maybe Takuya was right all along; maybe Furano would indeed change her.

A bumpy, though short, taxi ride left Noriko in front of the gates leading to Kami-Furano's flower farm and within five minutes the brunette had thrown a few bills into the donation bucket and was headed to the welcome center.

Regardless of how many times Noriko had called Takuya an idiot, the man was far from dumb. Being able to get Noriko away from Tokyo so suddenly had been no accident; it just so happened that the fractured leg shenanigans took place at the perfect time for Takuya to follow through with his plan. He had heard nothing but great things about the Yamayurikay girls, confirming his hypothesis regarding Noriko finally allowing herself to be happy. However, Takuya wanted Noriko to take a step away from her new friends in order to remember where her heart was not very long ago. What the old guy didn't know was that sending Noriko away for the weekend was the same as placing her in front of a white canvas and allowing her to watch as colors appeared, one by one, permeating the cloth and coming alive in abstract lines and dots and waves, all of it, a clear reminder that the girl's heart would never be empty again.

Ah, Takuya, if only you knew how beautiful the traces and color patterns were, you would never, ever, worry about Noriko's heart again.

 _King's beer misses you!_

 _3:15 PM_

The text from Yoshino made Noriko chuckle as she stepped into the welcome center for a much needed drink. She looked around for a second, finding a cooler and grabbing a bottle of water from it, then she decided she'd also take a small bag with assorted candies which was apparently locally made. At the counter, Noriko paid for her items and as she started to walk toward the door, she saw a little blonde girl watch her intently from behind a bookshelf. The kid couldn't be older than maybe three of four, and she reminded Noriko of a tiny version of Satou Sei when she smiled silently and ran toward Noriko like she knew the brunette.

Getting on one knee, like she was ready to proposed, Noriko offered the little girl some of the assorted treats she had bought, _Great! Now I look like a creeper, offering little children candy_ … "You better take more than one!" she told the girl. _That didn't help…_ Neither thinking she could win nor look less like a pedo, Noriko stood and quickly B-lined toward the exit.

Shoving the bag of candies into her backpack, Noriko chugged her water before walking toward a group of tourists that were standing by an old, rusty truck, though instead of waiting for the ride, she pressed on, passing by a large purple field, then another one filled with reds and yellows; the lavender scent, just about palpable, invaded the farm unapologetically.

Noriko walked for a while before a hill stood in front of her; sunflowers to the left, tall, bright-yellow leaves, some with green cores, others with auburn ones; the mature plants faced one direction while the young ones worshipped the hot sun as they followed the celestial body from east to west. To Noriko's right, poppy flowers covered the green grass in reds, blues, whites and yellows. The brunette grabbed Takuya's camera, turning it on she snapped a few shots of the field to her left, then she walked up the hill for a few close-ups; the large flowers easily towered Noriko and she barely suppressed the incredible urge to run through those plants, to get lost in that sea of yellows and greens.

Instead, Noriko made her way back down the hill in hopes to get closer to the poppy flowers. In mid-walk, the brunette stopped and turned around to snap a picture of both fields side-by-side, and finally when she was about to take a faraway shot of the hill with the poppy flowers, she saw her.

Maria-sama.

Nothing but life permeating from that figure as she lifted her dress up to her knees, swirling around the flowers atop of that hill and making Noriko feel as if the ground had been removed from beneath her.

Noriko watched as the same little blonde girl from the welcome center interrupted Maria-sama's dance, presenting her with a piece of candy. She kneeled in front of the little girl accepting the offering, carefully unwrapping, breaking the candy into two pieces and giving the girl one of the halves before slowly bringing her share to her lips. Then Maria-sama smiled, like the chocolate or the taffy of whatever that treat was, had been the best thing the woman had tasted in a long time, and it was genuinely endearing to watch that wondrous young woman hug the little girl before the tiny blonde ran down the hill.

When Maria-sama finally stood up again, holding on to her skirt, a stronger breeze blew her hair forward. She waited until the wind had subsided before bending over, head down as her hazelnut hair, curled at the ends, almost touched the ground, then she collected her locks carefully and in three or four moves, her hair was up in a bun; either way, hair down or up, Noriko couldn't take her eyes off of her.

At some point, her arms couldn't hold the heavy camera any longer and Noriko brought the device down, though when her eyes finally looked beyond the lens, she gasped as if her lungs had suddenly been deprived of air. Noriko couldn't believe what stood in front of her: a cherry blossom tree, in full bloom, had joined Maria-sama in her dance.

Noriko's knees buckled as spring met summer then she simply let gravity ground her.

Although whatever was happening in front of her had to be a figment of her imagination, she felt as if she would go blind if she looked elsewhere, as if she averted her gaze, Maria-sama would disappear amongst the poppy flowers, as if Noriko's legs moved away, her heart would merely stop beating.

So she sat there for a long while, watching in awe as the light pink leaves detached from the Sakura tree, losing themselves within Maria-sama's hair. And there was no other place Noriko would have liked to be than right there amongst the flowers.

Did Maria-sama have friends? Noriko wondered. What did they look like? Were they nice, smart, overprotective? Did they love her with all of their heart? Where had she grown up, gone to school, learned how to dance? Had she loved before? Had she lost before? Had her heart been broken by some idiot who didn't see her worth? If so, who had helped her mend the pieces?

Noriko wondered so many other things; a myriad of questions erupting inside her head. For the past several weeks, she kept hearing her new friends say, "Maria-sama is watching," during serious and not-so-serious situations; was Maria-sama really watching? Was she really looking down at that very moment, observing Noriko sit on the grown, immobilized by the sight of a girl dancing around a field of flowers?

Was Maria-sama really watching? And if so, why wouldn't she give Noriko the strength to walk up that hill? Why wouldn't she give Noriko back the voice she had lost long ago so she could speak up, so she could introduce herself and ask all of the questions she had?

Maybe the girl dancing was really Maria-sama; taking a break from all of the people she looked after and consequently not granting Noriko's simple wish. And maybe that was the reason why after a while Maria-sama jogged all the way up the hill then disappeared as she descended.


	14. Shoreline

A/N: Hello!

I'm hoping you haven't given up on this story yet.

* * *

 _Maria-sama might have been watching, after all,_ Noriko thought, lifting her head to read a sign affixed to a tall gingko tree. _But, if she really watches, it would have been nice for her to have made this place a bit closer to the city…_ she continued with the musing.

Truth be told, Noriko was not annoyed with the fact she had to travel to the country that Sunday, se was simply not happy about having to step foot inside a Buddhist temple when she didn't feel ready to do so quite yet.

 _Shoguji Temple,_ read another old sign stuck to a lamp post; an arrow pointing forward. "Ask for the priest," were the only directions from Takuya before handing Noriko a sticky note with an address neatly handwritten in cursive.

Noriko looked back to where the bus had dropped her off; the tallest of Tokyo's buildings could still be seen from where she stood; a constant reminder that home was but a few miles away and there was no reason for her to be worried – it wasn't like the priest was planning on locking her up inside the temple to torture her with pictures of the Kannon statue.

Still, Noriko wasn't happy.

It was only when she stood in front of the main gates of that temple that she finally understood what Sei meant when the blonde explained the inadequate sentiment one has when they come back home after many years only to feel like a bothersome child again. Noriko thought of Sei's words and how Sumireko had wholeheartedly agreed with the gregarious girl. Was sharing those feelings of inaptitude with others what growing up meant? If so, Noriko wanted more of it, she wanted more of learning she belonged even when she thought she didn't; even when she thought she was the only person thinking and feeling what everybody else was indeed feeling though no girl she had known in high school was brave enough to say it. This was yet another reason for Noriko to regret not rebelling like any girl her age; not saying "fuck this entrance exam," and taking that leap of faith which was the trip to Kyoto.

Following the signs to the main entrance, Noriko walked slowly through a narrow path revisiting the conversation she had that morning with Sumireko, and the girl couldn't help but smile; her aunt was truly someone she could trust and whom she loved unconditionally, even after so many years of taunting and practical jokes.

Noriko chuckled at the thought of anyone else seeing her in her twisted pajamas, hair all mussed up, with sleepy eyes and foggy mind. Then the thought of a barely awoken Shimako flooded Noriko's mind and the blush which adorned the girl's face was such that she felt the tip of her ears burn with warmth.

It would have been the cutest thing… to be able to wake up next to that Maria-sama, who wasn't Maria-sama, after all, which meant that the actual Mother Mary was really watching, and she probably knew that Noriko would have a second chance in speaking with Shimako. Now, if only Noriko's heart would calm down around the new acquaintance…

With the guarantee that those buildings behind her wouldn't go anywhere, Noriko mustered the courage to cross the gates and enter the temple, finding a middle-aged woman sweeping the steps of the entrance, "May I speak with the Priest? I have a delivery for him," Noriko asked quietly with all of the decorum she could have gathered.

"You are Shimura-san's helper, correct?"

At Noriko's nod, the woman asked the brunette to wait on the steps then the shrine's doors opened and closed behind her, leaving Noriko on her own to look around at the trees surrounding the property until a bald man came out of the shrine to greet the brunette, "Good day, Nijou-chan," he bowed, "Hoho! When Shimura-san said he was sending a young lady my way, he wasn't joking, was he?"

"It's—"

"Ah! There's no need to be shy! Come inside, my dear. The least I can do to thank you is to offer you a cup of tea. What do you say?"

"H-hai. Thank you," Noriko answered, and quickly followed the middle-aged man inside.

Kneeling on a pillow with both legs tucked under her rear, Noriko watched quietly as the Priest's wife sat a tray with a teapot and two cups on the table which separated the brunette and the older man.

The Priest thanked the woman with a smile then asked, "Could you get daughter, my Love?" before the woman walked out of the room.

 _My Love._

Try as she might, Noriko couldn't keep a smile from tugging at her lips and even though she looked down at her knees, her smirk didn't go unnoticed, "I hope that didn't offend you, Nijou-chan," the Priest said.

"Oh. No! N-not at all!" The brunette fumbled with her answer. It was wonderful; however, to have been present for that endearing moment; the simple interaction flooding Noriko's heart with warmth, "I've only been around couples who have recently started to date; to see this between an older couple; it's… incredible."

"You see," The older man poured the tea, handed Noriko a cup and took the other for himself before continuing, "a little affection goes a long way."

"I'm sure it does…"

"I mean it!" The Priest said, his voice a bit louder, his smile a little wider.

"But..."

"But? What's the matter, my dear?"

"It's nothing…" Noriko tried to wiggle her way out.

"It has got to be something…"

Noriko finally looked up from her tea, "I just don't understand the _how_ of these things…" she said, looking straight at the Priest all the while fighting back tears at the thought of Kanako and Touko.

Taking a long sip of his tea, the Priest allowed silence to envelope the room for a long while before explaining that, "You will meet several people who will knock the air out of you with a simple smile…" he then looked toward the door from which his wife had exited before continuing, "when your heart decides that one of them is worth depriving your lungs from oxygen, then you will know you have found the one. And once you do; however, hold on to him…" he smiled at Noriko, "or her…."

"…"

Looking at Noriko again, he shook his head in disbelief, "I still can't believe how young you are!"

"Heh…" she laughed awkwardly.

"You are what? Sixteen, seventeen?"

"Nineteen."

"My daughter has turned twenty this year."

"…"

"I'm glad… _truly glad_ Takuya sent you here," the Priest stood up, bowed, then walked toward the sliding door which led outside, and before opening it, he finished, "Rare are the occasions I get to speak with such a pure soul. I thank you for coming to this temple."

The sliding door had barely been opened when a gust of wind blew green leaves inside the temple, and along with the leaves, Maria-sama also waltzed in, "I'm Shimako," she introduced herself even before looking at the person sitting with their back to the door.

The familiar voice, carrying the even more familiar name along with it was all it took for Noriko to stiffen like someone had poured ice-cold water down her back. And as that water ran down her spine, her gasp filled her lungs with much needed air. When she finally turned around, the brunette's voice falter, "I-I'm Noriko."

"H-here it is, Father" Shimako handed the older man a container the size of a shoe-box, two black ribbons securing the lid – one horizontally and the other vertically. Thanking Shimako, the priest walked back toward Noriko, carefully sitting the box in front of the brunette.

"Nijou-chan, I have a sutra reading this afternoon and I have to be going, though I will leave you in the care of my daughter. I believe you have something which is very dear to her in your possession; am I correct?"

 _Something which is very dear to her…_ Noriko's gears turned for a long second before she finally remembered why she was there to begin with, "Ah, yes!" she said, reaching into her backpack and retrieving the blue baggie that held the praying beads then laying it atop of the table, side-by-side with the old box.

"Great! I'll leave you young people alone, then!" The priest said, then walked away leaving Shimako, Noriko and a lot of silence behind him.

"…"

"…"

"So it was really you at the station earlier today…" Shimako mused out loud, "I thought I was seeing things…"

"You were there, too?" Noriko asked. As the brunette's eyes never left her tea, she missed Shimako's fidgeting.

"Father had me running errands for him this morning."

"I see…"

"For some strange reason…" Shimako walked toward the table and stood in front of Noriko. When the brunette finally looked up, Rosa Gigantea continued, "I really wanted it to be you…" a light blush adorned Shimako's cheeks, though she did nothing to hide it; it was a wonderful feeling, to be vulnerable in front of someone like that.

"And why is that?"

"I haven't figured that out yet," Rosa Gigantea responded earnestly.

"I see..."

"Don't mind me, though… I'm still in transition mode. Being back here is surreal in a way; you simply happen to be part of all of these changes I'm going through and I find myself in this strange stage in my life where everything is the same but new, and I don't want to miss out on anything; the green of the trees, the smell of the fresh cut grass, the taste of tea in the early mornings – I want to remember all of these things, the way the are right now, so when they become routine again, I can look back and remind myself that nothing feels right if you're missing your heart."

"Missing your heart…"

"I… Sorry, that was heavy…"

"It's okay, Shimako-sama."

"Thank you," Shimako smiled, then pointed to the table, "May I?"

And at Noriko's "o-of course…" Shimako finally sat down, though not across, but by Noriko.

"Y-your Yukata is beautiful, by the way," Noriko said softly, her hands still holding on to her teacup like it was grounding her, her eyes cast down like if looking Shimako in the eyes was a sin.

As if the robe needed to be straightened out, Shimako ran her hand from her chest down to her stomach and looking down at it, she smiled, "This is father's welcome home gift…"

"It's really nice."

"Youko-sama must have been rubbing off on Onee-sama; father said she was the one who picked the fabric…" Shimako said, a hint of pride peppered the words.

"You're saying Sei-sama wouldn't have chosen that clothon her own?"

"It's not it… Sei-sama is an incredible woman, the best onee-sama! But she's great in her own ways, and like everybody else, while she can be very good at some things, she also lacks in certain areas…" Shimako tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and looked at her sleeves before continuing, "Onee-sama is not concerned about garment patterns and the likes, she's more interested in the person wearing the clothes."

"She's really important to you, huh?"

"My onee-sama? She's family."

"I see."

Shimako chuckled before explaining, "…and that's why I know there was someone else, more… sensitive behind this," she pointed at her chest.

Noriko didn't think of herself as the sensitive kind, though it had been none but herself who had chosen the very fabric which adorned Shimako's body so beautifully, hugging her in all the right spots and still leaving a lot to one's imagination. It was only fair; however, that Noriko let Shimako think Youko and Sei had chosen the cloth – a much better story than what had truly transpired during the day Noriko was handed the responsibility to shop for Sei. It was up to Sei to tell that story to Shimako, after all.

"Sei-sama has always been very kind to me, she is definitely someone wonderful to have around…" Noriko said, finally setting her teacup and saucer atop of the tray to her side.

Then there was a long, awkward and undeniably restless silence which all but asphyxiated both girls until Rosa Gigantea reached for the box sitting on the table, "Father said you might be interested in seeing the Maitreya statue," she said while untying the bow which kept the box's lid from moving around.

"Don't!" Noriko interrupted, "… Please!" she added, her fingertips landing atop of Shimako's hand and the featherweight contact was all it took for an whirlwind to cover every surface of the room with cherry blossoms and lavender petals.

Only when Noriko's lungs complained, she finally exhaled a long breath, "I'm sorry, I wasn't ready for any of this…"

 _Who wouldn't want to see a Yuukai piece, especially someone who was so close to Shimura-sama?_ Shimako thought, "Any of what?" she asked, confusion written in her eyes.

Noriko looked at the box in front of her for a long second, trying to figure out how she would go about answering that question, the awkward silence gnawing her insides again before she decided she would simply tell the truth. " I haven't been to a Buddhist temple in years – a decision that I had made after… some things happened involving a statue I wanted to see…"

"I'm… sorry."

Forcing a smile Noriko continued, "And the Maitreya statue… Yuukai is one of my favorite artists… But my heart is not ready…"

Then Noriko looked up, finding two pools of gray watching, quietly waiting for whatever else Noriko was about to say when she opened her mouth and inhaled a deep breath, _Then there's you_ , the brunette thought and exhaled, choosing to remain silent as though she lacked the courage to explain the longing she had in her chest, the strange need to go back to Lillian, to cross those gates and run straight to that cherry blossom tree which brought her to Shimako. It was difficult to translate that feeling into words without letting Rosa Gigantea know that Noriko thought about her constantly ever since Furano.

"Ok…" Shimako said, and watched Noriko reach for the bag sitting on the table. The comment sounded disengaged, bored even. _How fitting,_ Noriko thought. How fitting it was that Shimako didn't give a fuck about this urge Noriko had to open up; to confess to a stranger things she had never told anybody, save for Takuya and Sumireko. How terribly empty it felt to be sitting there, side-by-side with that wondrous woman and have felt lonely.

One by one, Noriko watched the petals around her slowly vanish.

Handing the blue baggie to Shimako, Noriko said, "I'm actually here to deliver this…" then watched Shimako untie the small pouch and withdraw the juzu from it carefully.

"Thank you."

"Although it's not perfect anymore, Takuya-kun says it's very close to its original form."

"Noriko-chan," Shimako said.

"Hai…"

"Thank you very much."

Managing a smile Noriko answered, "You're very welcome, Shimako-sama."

"For a while I thought the damage was irreparable, but then father mentioned Shimura-sama could fix anything. Please, tell him I will forever be indebted to him."

"I'll tell him you are satisfied with the way it turned out."

Still looking at the praying beads, Shimako trailed off, her voice but a whisper, "I can't believe I almost destroyed grandmother's praying beads…" and that immediately made Noriko's eye twitch, "You…"

Looking straight at Noriko, Shimako knew exactly where the brunette wanted to get, "I was angry," she said matter-of-factly.

"You… were angry…"

"Do you not get angry?"

"I do… but I don't usually take my anger on praying beads."

"I—"

"Especially rare ones," Noriko pointed at the juzu, "like that one…"

The brunette could feel her blood warming up; her face reddened, her feet shook. _How could someone be so careless?_ she asked herself. The juzu Shimako held in her hands was legitimately invaluable; even with the repairs, appraisers would die to put their hands on a relic like that, and for Shimako to be so disdainful was a jab Noriko was not ready to receive.

"What do you take me for, Noriko-chan?"

"You know…" Noriko started as she stood up, reached for her backpack, swinging it onto her back and adjusting the straps down, "At first I was truly making an effort to learn, but now, my opinion really doesn't matter, does it? Thank your father for the tea for me, please," she finished and walked toward the door.

"But the Maitreya sta—"

Opening the sliding door Noriko turned around, interrupting Shimako, "See that wall?" she pointed toward the back of the room, "How about you throw the Maitreya against it? You seem to be good at destroying things."

"Noriko-chan!"

"You heard me!" Noriko allowed a dark smirk tug at her lips, _Don't do it_ , a voice nagged at her, though she evaded the plea, "And after that, run your head through it, too!"

Noriko walked outside.

She gasped for air.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading!


	15. The Thick and the Thin

A/N: As always, thank you for reading!

* * *

It was the beginning of Yumi's second year and she had once again clasped her hands together in front of Maria-sama, asking –begging– for an uneventful year, for peace, whatever that entailed while having to work for Lillian's student council.

And like Maria-sama was indeed watching, though wanted nothing to do with Yumi, she heard a "Gokigenyou, Yumi-san," before she was even able to finish her prayer with an "Amen," and reopen her eyes. When Yumi turned, she saw Yoshino standing there, thin braids draped over her chest, dark-brown eyes glimmering with the help of the morning sun.

Yoshino was a cute girl, Yumi thought. Though Rei would beg to differ; to Rei, Shimazu Yoshino was a beautiful woman, even more so since the smiles became a daily occurrence – thank goodness the feisty brunette had demanded the rosary back. Rei wouldn't know what she'd do without Yoshino as a petite soeur.

Still; whether one saw Yoshino as cute or beautiful, fiery suited her best. And fiery was indeed what Yumi saw as soon as Touko opened her mouth the first time she stepped into the Rose Mansion, "Sachiko-onee-sama," was all it took Yoshino to feel her eye twitch, "You picked up the wrong pigtailed girl on your way here, Sachiko-sama."

"Yoshino-san!" Yumi said, pushing Yoshino to the side with her elbow.

"Hey! I'm looking out for you!" Yoshino responded.

"Touko doesn't get it…"

"Yumi, Yoshino, this is Matsudaira Touko," Sachiko introduced the young girl.

"Touko is Sachiko-onee-sama's cousin," the sentence from Touko elevating Yoshino's sass, "Why… are you addressing yourself in third person, child?" She looked at Yumi, "Am I the only one here who thinks this is ridiculous?"

Yumi squeezed her temples, "Yoshino, please…" All she wanted was peace, and Maria-sama was clearly not on the same page.

"Should I get going now that you found a petite soeur, Ogasawara-san?" Yumi asked, crossing her arms. Nobody could deny she was annoyed.

Nevertheless, watching Sachiko reach for her neck, pulling the rosary from underneath her dress and neatly arranging it atop of her sailor collar irritated Yumi even more. _Peace,_ she thought before announcing she'd make tea.

"Touko takes her with milk and sugar," was truly the last straw which led Yoshino to show how fiery that skinny butt of hers could really be, "You take yours with your mouth shut! Sachiko-sama, please, what is this replica of Yumi doing hanging on to you like a newborn kangaroo?!"

"Sachiko-onee-sama said Touko could come visit the Rose Mansion."

"Sachiko-sama! What is going on here?!" Yoshino squealed, then watched Yumi carefully place the electric kettle down, turn off the faucet, grab her bag and walk to the biscuit door, "I don't get paid enough for this," she said, then waked away.

When Yumi carefully closed the Rose Mansion's front door behind her, inhaler in hand, the sun shone through the overcast clouds and it felt nice just standing there, soaking in the warmth.

Medicated lungs had solved one of Yumi's problems, though her mind remained troubled. She thought about all of the reasons why she shouldn't be upset, all of the ways she'd be better off when Touko became Rosa Chinensis en bouton, though nothing really made the girl's heart stop racing.

"Yumi-san…" Yoshino's hand landed softly on the brunette's shoulder, "you okay?"

Drawing a long breath Yumi turned around to face her friend, "Yeah," she responded quietly, "I… She…"

"Is a baka, like Rei-chan, I know!"

Yumi's mind had taken her on a curse cruise way before Yoshino settled for: idiot. "Maybe taco or whatever her name is, will finally get me off the hook for good…"

"Is that really what you want?"

"I think I've gotten more than I could have imagined out of this weird situation, Yoshino-san… you, Shimako-san, Rei-san; the older Roses… I couldn't have asked for better friends."

"You're not convincing me…"

"I never wanted Sachiko's rosary," Yumi said, and it sounded more like a questions than an affirmation.

Yoshino was even less convinced.

###

It was Sunday morning and Yuuki had dragged Yumi out to the city.

Though there was a nine-month gap between the two, they indeed looked like they were twins, and truth be told, it very much felt like that as well. Yuuki was in a way an extension of Yumi; the relationship between the two was incredibly strong to the point where Yuuki –with the permission of his parents – took a year off of school in hopes he could be with Yumi during the time she spent recouping from surgery.

Yuuki was, nevertheless, the target of Yumi's anger for a while, though he knew that it was never his sister's intention to hurt him, so he stuck around, taking the beatings all the while trying to convey to Yumi that nothing would change how much he loved his little sister.

"From here…" Yuuki said, moving fast, toward a bus stop, "we take the bus out of the city."

"And you have to do all of this for the Hanadera student Coucil?" Yumi asked.

"It's part of my duty as an officer. The other guys are running errands today, too… so I don't feel as bad…" He trailed off, trying to justify – more to himself than to Yumi –the extra work.

"Okay…" Yumi answered, looking to the road so not to miss the bus which would take the siblings to their final destination.

The mile walk from where the bus dropped them off to the entrance of the Buddhist temple Yuuki had to visit in order to pick up an important statue for one of Hanadera's most vital student council activities of the year, only took a quick fifteen minutes. Yuuki stepped into the temple first and Yumi followed her brother closely. As austere as the place might have looked, Yumi thought it was beautiful; simple outshining luxurious was the many things the brunette appreciated in life. She wondered if it would be right to thank Maria-sama for having the opportunity to walk into such a wonderful place.

She did it anyway.

When the Priest came into the room, Yuuki bowed deeply and then made a really weird noise as the older man hugged him from the side, squeezing the boy a bit too tight – one of the many traits Yuuki shared with Yumi was the incredible ability to make the most interesting of sounds.

"Ah! Yuuki-kun!"

"Youaahh—"

"Oh! Am I squishing you, Yuuki, my dear?" The Priest quickly let go of the boy and walked toward Yumi, "And who do we have here?"

"Gokingenyou, I'm Fukuzawa Yumi," the brunette bowed.

The old man smiled big and said, "I'm the Chief Priest!"

"Please take good care of us."

"Of course! Come, we'll get you guys some tea and I'll get my daughter to bring the statue for you, Yuuki-kun!"

The Priest chuckled at Yuuki's awkwardness, but knew that the boy was only trying to be polite. Yuuki, much like Yumi, was an earnest person, wearing his heart on his sleeve and the Priest knew that kids bearing great hearts like the Fukuzawas were hard to find, thus, he had no need to rush the siblings out of the temple, on the contrary, he wanted to be around such great auras.

"Ah! There she is," the priest said, looking outside as he watched his daughter enter the temple.

"Whaaa!" Yumi blurted out when she turned toward the door and saw Shimako wearing a Traditional Kimono and holding on to a heavy box. Although the girl with the wavy hazelnut hair did nothing but to gasp when she looked at Yumi, the Priest found the situation a bit peculiar.

"Don't tell me you kids know each other?"

"Father…" Shimako said, her cheeks flushed.

"You do! Great!"

"Shimako!" The Priest said, surprised to watch Shimako carefully place the box onto the table, quickly turning around and walking away without even looking back to see that Yumi had stood and was following her out the door without saying anything to neither the Priest nor Yuuki.

"Shimako-san!" Yumi caught up to Shimako at the bottom of the steps leading into a courtyard in front of the main temple. Grabbing on to the hazelnut-haired girl's arm, Yumi asked, " What's the matter? Did I do something wrong?"

"Yumi-san," Shimako said, her cheeks still flushed, "Doesn't this disturb you?"

"This?"

"This!" Shimako pointed at herself, "The daughter of a Buddhist Priest attending a Christian school."

"What's wrong with that?"

"It's… not right."

"Who cares?"

"But I—"

"You what? You wanna be a nun or something?"

###

Shimako was in the middle of her first "May Maria-sama be with you," when Touko's scream reverberated in the chapel, "Stop!"

"Touko-chan?!" Sachiko feigned surprise, though she knew exactly what Touko was about to do.

"Sachiko-onee-sama," Touko said, drawing an eye-roll from Yoshino, "Yumi-sama shouldn't be allowed to be in this chapel."

"What do you mean by that, Touko-chan?" Rei asked.

"Yumi-sama was carrying these in her bag today." Touko lifted Shimako's juzu above her head before continuing, "she dropped them in the hallway," Touko lied, and even though Yumi knew Touko's lines, she still felt terrible for agreeing to expose Shimako in front of all first-years.

"What are you talking about?" Yoshino –who had been kept in the dark— asked Touko.

"Stay out of this one, Yoshino," Rei asked, "Are those yours, Yumi-san?"

"No." Yumi answered.

"Then why were they in your bag?" Rei continued the inquisition.

"They were in my bag, but they aren't mine, Rei-san."

"Then if they are not yours, it would be okay for us to throw them away, right?" Rei asked, and Yumi watched Touko toss the praying beads across the stage to Rei. Then Yumi looked at Shimako and her stomach churned. "You're not going to throw the juzu away!" she proceeded, her heart beating a little faster than the usual.

"But you said it did not belong to you …" Sachiko finally spoke.

"Ogasawara-san, you should stay out of this."

"Let me see the beads, Rosa Foetida," Sachiko asked, then holding the juzu toward Yumi, she proceeded to say, "If it doe not belong to you, then I will throw it away."

"No, you won't!" Yumi walked up to Sachiko and stood just a few centimeters away from the heiress, their eyes locked, and strangely, Yumi thought those blue orbs were incredibly bright that morning; though, she wasn't in a position where she could enjoy that wondrous view. "Give the juzu back," Yumi reached for the rare piece, holding on to half of the praying beads with fervor.

"Why do you want them if they are not yours?" Sachiko asked.

"The owner doesn't matter, Ogasawara-san, give it back!"

"But Touko saw it in your bag, Yumi-sa—"

"Shut up! Nobody asked for your input!" Yumi said between shallow breaths. Though everything was supposed to be arranged, the scream at Touko felt terribly genuine.

"Enough!" It was Shimako who raised her voice that time.

"Stay out of this, Shimako-san," Yumi, still holding on to the juzu, tried to keep Shimako from coming to the front of the stage with her free hand, "You don't need to say anything," the brunette's voice cracked, "I'll take care of this."

Shimako simply held on to the hand Yumi had extended in order to try to protect Rosa Gigantea, "There's no need for you to be burned by something like this. Thank you for protecting me, Yumi-san. I'll take it from here."

"But…" Yumi was weak, her legs felt like jelly and when Shimako said, "The juzu belongs to me," Yumi's heart felt like it was going to explode. _This is not good_ , she thought. Just like that her chest was hollow, her head felt heavy, and Shimako's calm explanation on the reason why the juzu belonged to her, simply couldn't be heard by Yumi any longer. The arm which played tug-of-war with Sachiko, dropped suddenly and Sachiko pulled on the praying beads hard in order to try to keep Yumi from hitting the floor as she collapsed. Though the juzu ended up on the floor, broken, Yumi was safe in Sachiko's lap.

Sitting on her rear, Sachiko looked at Rei, "Go get someone!" she said with tears in her eyes.

###

It was an interesting way to meet the parents of the girl you think you might like.

Sachiko wished that the circumstances weren't as pressing; she would have preferred being introduced to Yumi's parents at the Lillian's Athletic Festival or during a visit to Yumi's house – or any place that smelled better than the corridors of an Emergency Room.

Sometimes one couldn't help things going awry.

"I'm Ogasawara Sachiko," she bowed as far as she could, "I am deeply sorry for causing this," Sachiko said quickly, the knot in her throat threatening to keep the heiress from finishing that short sentence. The warm tears rolling down her face; however, saying more than the most eloquent words.

"Ah, Ogasawara-san, We're sure none of this is your fault," Yuuichirou started.

"Please, call me Sachiko," _I don't need the entire family addressing me by my last name_ , she wanted to add, but decided to refrain.

"Sachiko… chan; Yuuichirou hesitated at first, but felt as if the honorific suited the girl better than –san. In Yuuichirou's mind, addressing the girl in such a personal way would at least lessen the burden he knew she had been carrying on her shoulders since earlier that day. "Mi-chan said she wasn't feeling well a few days ago, she insisted in going to school nonetheless. We've spoken with her doctor already, she should be able to come home with us tonight."

Sachiko's tears kept trickling down her face, some of them meeting underneath her chin and dripping down, darkening the concrete floor where they landed. The heiress kept her head down, hands on her thighs as she listened carefully to Yumi's dad, "Thank you for taking care of our daughter."

Though Yuuichirou was the one who spoke, Miki ended up being the one surprising Sachiko the most by bringing the raven-haired girl into a tight hug. In Miki's arms Sachiko lost all of her strength, threw away all of her decorum and cried like a child in the arms of the woman who should haven been crying instead. Miki, much like Yumi, was a strong woman with a heart of gold.

Sachiko remained in Miki's arm for a long while. The older woman, very perceptive, allowed the raven-haired girl to take as long as she needed to recover. In a way, even though Yumi didn't speak much about Sachiko at home, it was very clear that Sachiko thought very highly of the brunette.

Being a Lillian alumna herself, Miki wondered if there was a reason why Sachiko was still holding on to her rosary, though the older woman had no intentions of prying at that moment.

When Yumi woke up, she was in her room and it was already morning. Her head ached right behind her eyes so she decided she was better off staying in bed and letting her body fight the pain on its own accord. The brunette looked out the window for a long time; it was a wonderful morning with clear skies and the sun shone bright.

Turning away from the window as she decided the sunlight would only worsen her migraine, Yumi's breath was caught in her throat; she never thought she'd see anything more incredible than that spring morning until she looked down on her floor to find Ogasawara Sachiko lying on a tatami mat, a blanket over her shoulder, one arm underneath the pillow, her hair draped to the side.

Then suddenly, as Yumi watched the heiress' chest rise and fall rhythmically, Sachiko opened her eyes, smiled at Yumi then closed her eyes again.

Yumi couldn't help but smile back.


	16. Build Me Up From Bones

A/N: Watch me go from Paracelsus to Trey Parker and Matt Stone...

If you have time, let me know what you think!

Thank you for reading :)

* * *

It was summertime and though the sky was supposed to be bright with sunshine, the dark clouds closed in brashly.

Yumi wished for rain.

 _I have absolutely no intentions of making Touko-chan my petite-soeur, Yumi,_ the brunette thought of Sachiko's words when she was walking out of the convenience store with the tub of butter Miki had told her to purchase on her way back from school.

It had started to rain hard when Yumi realized that her umbrella – the one with the light blue floral patterns –given to her by her grandfather was gone.

She felt like crying when she talked to the store clerk who offered her a plastic umbrella that had been forgotten at that store by someone else. Yumi politely rejected the offer and decided to run home.

The warm tears mixed with the cold rain felt awfully weird dripping down Yumi's face.

That umbrella was special.

 _One second you have it, then the next, it's taken away from you…_ Yumi's tears kept running down her cheeks even when she finally reached home.

That umbrella, which had belonged to Yumi for so long, had been purposefully stolen from Yumi and what was worse… Maria-sama simply overlooked that burglary.

Adding to the rainy blues, the next day in school, Sachiko asked Yumi to postpone their visit to the amusement park.

Yumi had promised herself that after that date, she'd tell Sachiko she was officially stepping down from her duties with the Yamayurikai. It was time for her to allow Sachiko the opportunity to make Touko her petite soeur even though the heiress had sworn that was never her intention.

Yumi had grown fond of Rosa Chinensis. _Yes, there, I said it_ , she reasoned with herself like she would Yoshino, while silently pushing the leftover rice from her bento to the side. Yoshino sat by her, writing something down on her Literature notebook. _She's a pain in my butt, and she knows she annoys me to no end, but still she insists on keeping me around. This Rosa Chinensis, with the shiny black hair and the perfect posture and the proper speech and the rotten nature, and the terrible talent to make me feel happy and sad and happy and sad at the same time,_ she looked up to find Sachiko looking at her, then Yumi looked away – and there it was again, that swell in her chest which came with looking at those blue orbs even for a split second.

Sachiko ended up rescheduling the amusement park date four times using the mid-terms as an excuse each time she called Yumi, so when the fifth consecutive Friday phone call was answered by Yumi and the reschedule petition delivered, the brunette decided she'd take actions of her own next time she saw Sachiko. Though, before hanging up on Sachiko that one last time, something made her ask heiress if all was well with her and her parents, "All is well, Yumi, thanks," was the simple answer she received.

That Monday, dark clouds covered the sky once again as Yumi waited for Sachiko outside the building that housed the third-years.

"Ogasawara-san, a minute, please," Yumi asked when she spotted Sachiko coming down the stairs.

"Is everything okay?" Sachiko sounded worried.

"All is well, thank you. I'm here because I wanted to speak with you about Sunday."

"Okay, go on."

"As you know, I've been helping with the Yamayuri—"

"Sachiko-onee-sama!" Touko interrupted, "Ah, gokigenyou, Yumi-sama," she greeted when she realized Sachiko had company. "Sorry for cutting your conversation short, Yumi-sama, but Sachiko-onee-sama's driver is waiting in front of the gates… we should go, soon," Touko then handed Sachiko an umbrella.

Thanking Touko, Sachiko looked at Yumi and asked, "Can we finish this conversation tomorrow?"

"All I need is five more minutes, Touko-chan, could y—"

"We don't have time," Sachiko said, not allowing Yumi to finish her sentence.

"Ogasawara-san?"

"We have to get going, if you could please excu—"

"Nah… I'll be going before you, Ogasawara-san. Have fun with you new petite soeur," Yumi said and looked at Touko, "Have fun dealing with her crazy ass."

The brunette stepped into the pouring rain, not bothering to even try opening up the red umbrella her mother had given to her since she lost hers, and she ran as fast as she could, her heart hammering against her chest.

Yumi ran through puddles which turned her white socks light brown, the back of her uniform stained from the mud lifted by her shoes. And as the rain poured on her face and she clutched tightly to her book bag, she felt used, abused, expendable, like a pen which had run out of ink.

Approaching the gates leading to the street, Yumi's blurred vision spotted a group of girls hurdle up in a circle: polka dot umbrella, hot pink umbrella, floral pattern umbrella, brown umbrella, and black umbrella.

Sato Sei's black umbrella.

The brunette crashed onto Sei's back, wrapping her hands around the blonde as if the world would tilt if she held on any looser, "Sei-sama!" Yumi cried, "Sei-sama!" she repeated herself, her face buried in Sei's back.

"Yumi-chan," the blonde could recognize that voice from kilometers away. She had never heard; however, Yumi sound so forlorn.

"You live right around the corner, right?" Yumi heard Sei ask someone, and just like that, Sei took Yumi's bag from her hand and swung one of her arms around the brunette's neck, "How about we get you dry?" She said, and started to walk with Yumi still holding on to her.

As she looked back toward Lillian, Sei could spot Sachiko and a shorter girl walking toward the gates. She had a hunch that the heiress had everything to do with Yumi's state so she walked faster, and quickly turned a corner so not to allow Sachiko to see where Yumi had disappeared to.

###

It had been a week since Yumi had stepped into the Rose Mansion when the P.A. system announced, "High school, second-year, Pine Class, Fukuzawa Yumi-san, please report to administration immediately."

The brunette, who was outside, throwing a trash bag into the dumpster when she heard her name echoing across campus, scrunched up her face like she had taken a bite of a lemon. _What else now?_ she wondered.

During the week she had avoided the Rose Mansion, she had miraculously recovered her umbrella, had made two new friends, had strengthened her ties with Yoshino, and had learned that she disliked Matsudaira Touko even more than she thought – to the point of admonishing Touko after quite a disdainful comment by the drill bit Sargent inside of Milk Hall.

Many things had happened indeed; even breathing had become a bit easier now that she wasn't around Sachiko anymore.

At times Yumi would catch herself holding her breath around the heiress as if that way she wouldn't miss out on the nuances of the girl's voice, or the subtleties of her moves. It was ironic that although Yumi thought being part of the Yamayurikai a burden, she also couldn't fight the force drawing her near Sachiko, making her want to learn about and understand the girl – little did Yumi know that according to this old Philosopher, the more one understands someone, the more one sees, notices… loves.

"I repeat, High school, second-year, Pine Class, Fukuzawa Yumi-san, please report to administration immediately."

Under her breath, she mumbled an, "Are you fucking serious?" and started to walk toward the administration building.

"Gokigenyou, Yumi-sama," the first-years greeted the brunette on her way up the stairs, "Gokigenyou," she replied politely, bowing her head slightly before taking her time to look at the faces of the girls who addressed her.

"Do your best, Yumi-sama!" she heard someone shout from behind her, and she lifted one arm in the air, fist clenched tightly as if saying, "I got this!" even though she had no idea what was yet to come. _Maybe Touko complained to upper-administration about the Milk Hall debacle_ , she thought, _Maybe people complained about me hanging out at the Rose Mansion without being part of the Yamayurikai_ , she continued pondering until she spotted Yoshino in front of the door which led to administration, "I brought your bag, just in case," the yellow en bouton handed Yumi her book bag.

Looking around, Yumi saw that Shimako and Rei were also there, smiling at her. Tsutako who had snapped a few pictures of the exchange between Yoshino and Yumi had brought her camera down, giving Yumi a thumbs up.

"Anybody knows what's going on?" Yumi asked, and was showered with, "No."

"Wish me luck then," she said and pushed the door open.

Out of all the people she thought would be inside that office, Mizuno Youko was not Yumi's first guess by a long shot. But, goddamn, it felt good to look at that woman again. It felt good to be around that energy, to be surrounded by that strength; how Yumi had missed those dark tresses, the deep blue eyes, the thin smile and the soft-spoken voice of Mizuno Youko.

"Youko-sama!"

"Gokigenyou, Yumi-chan!" Youko stood from the chair and walked toward the brunette, "I see you have your bag, are you ready to go?" she asked.

"Where?"

"Do you trust me?" Yumi wasn't expecting that answer from anyone else but the former Rosa Chinensis.

"I do, very much so."

"Then follow me, will you?"

"Hai."

Yumi walked out of the administration office and without saying a word to her friends she fell into step with Youko, silently. At one point, her shoulder grazed Youko's as they walked down the stairs but she didn't feel the need to apologize.

Given the fact that Youko was dressed in black, Yumi had assumed something bad had happened and when she saw Suguru leaning against Lillian's gates, wearing a black suit with a white shirt and a black tie, her heart fluttered and she halted her steps reaching for Youko's hand, "Youko-sama…"

"We don't have much time, Yumi."

"Is… she okay?"

"Yumi," Youko turned around to face the younger girl and holding on to the her shoulders with both hands, she asked, "Do you like Sachiko?"

"Where is this coming from?"

"It's an easy questions, don't you think?"

"If you knew how she has treated me the past month, you wouldn't bother asking."

"So you don't like her."

"That was not what I said."

"Yumi…" Youko said again, and looked at Suguru, "We don't have much time…"

"I trust you, just tell me what you need from me."

"A convincing yes. You tend to say things that don't match the way you actually feel. I'll ask again; do you like Sachiko?"

Yumi looked at Suguru, who had straightened up from leaning against the gates; he looked impatient, although he was trying hard to allow the girls to finish their talk without calling out to them. The brunette then looked back at Youko, "More than I want to admit," she answered, and watched Youko grab her by the hand and all but drag Yumi into Suguru's car.

When Suguru pulled in to a large property with a name plate which had belonged to Sachiko's grandmother, Yumi had already been filled in on what had transpired with Sachiko's obaa-sama, though she was still a bit confused about why Youko would go out of her way to pull Yumi from school and take her to Sachiko grandmother's home.

"This is Sayako-oba-sama, Sachiko's mother." Youko said after an older woman opened the door to the large house, greeted them "Gokigenyou," and allowed the three youngsters to walk in, "You must be Yumi-chan," Sayako held on to Yumi's hands, "I will be forever indebted to you for coming all the way her."

Yumi bowed deeply, "I am deeply sorry for your loss, Ogasa—"

"If Youko can call me Sayako, then I believe you can, too, eh?

"H-hai, S-sayako oba-sama…"

"Thank you Yumi-chan."

"Sayako oba-sama, Suguru and I will take a walk now," Youko said, grabbing onto Suguru's jacket and pushing the boy toward the door.

"How about we take care of the living, Yumi-chan?"

"Hai," Yumi said and followed the older woman down a hallway with several doors to each side.

"Yumi-chan," Sayako said, stopping in front of a bedroom, "Since okaa-sama passed, Sachan has refused to speak with anyone."

"I see."

"She hasn't come out of mother's room and she refuses to eat or drink anything…"

"I'm sorry..."

Yumi thought hard about the words coming from Sayako, and wondered if she was there to serve as an offering to the hungry monster which was Ogasawara Sachiko. How fitting it was for Yumi to be tossed into the lion's den to be shredded to pieces after being treated terribly.

"Nevertheless…" Sayako interrupted Yumi's mental rant.

 _Neverth—Ah! Crap, here we go…_

"The only name that comes out of her mouth is yours, Yumi-chan…"

"MINE?!" Yumi shrieked.

"Yours, yes."

"…"

"Yumi-chan," Sayako laid her hand on the brunette's shoulder, "Please bring my Sachan back?"

The brunette settled for, "I… I'll try," although she really just wanted to say, "Fuck, shit, balls," before she pushed the door open and walked into the room.

"Hello?" Yumi said, "Ogasawara-san?" she tried again with no avail.

Yumi kept on waking toward the large bed which was placed by a door leading to a veranda. Though the shades had been drawn, the sun still made its way into the room, allowing Yumi to see Sachiko's figure kneeling on the floor with her upper body draped atop of the bed.

Halting her steps as soon as she was able to see Sachiko, Yumi tried one more time, "Ogasawara-san," and watched Sachiko lift her head, looking toward the voice addressing her.

"I must be dreaming," Sachiko managed to say with difficulty.

"Ogasawara-san…" Yumi repeated for the nth time that day.

"I am dreaming aren't I?"

"I'm afraid you're not."

"In my dream, my onee-sama said she'd bring you to me…"

"Right," Yumi said quietly.

Sachiko looked thinner, the dark circles were proof that the heiress hadn't had much sleep in a while, even her hair didn't look as glossy as it usually did. Yet, Yumi couldn't stop looking at the girl sitting on the floor in front of her, and her heart wanted more than ever to be there with Sachiko, to kneel down by the raven-haired girl, bringing her into a bone-crushing hug in hopes she could share some of that burden.

"Yumi…" Sachiko cried, "I don't want you to be a dream. I know that I have hurt you, this is all my fault."

"This is not a dream," Yumi smiled and reached for Sachiko's hand, "See, I'm right here," she helped the heiress to her feet, the rays of sunshine stubbornly filtering through the shades giving life to Sachiko's face.

"Right here, like you asked Youko-sama."

Although Sachiko was at least a couple centimeters taller than Yumi, the difference in height was no obstacle for Yumi when both her thumbs grazed Sachiko's cheekbones and kept on going until her fingers landed on the nape of the heiress' neck, then Yumi diligently rested Sachiko's forehead on hers.

"What else can I do to prove this is not a dream?" Yumi whispered, her warm breath tickling Sachiko's lips.

"Yumi," Sachiko closed her eyes, the urge to lean in and take Yumi's lips making her entire body shake.

But what if that wasn't it?

What if Yumi was only there so save Sachiko from herself?

What if Yumi was only there as a favor for Youko?

Sachiko reopened her eyes; Yumi's chocolate orbs intently watching her every move – if only Sachiko knew how much Yumi also wanted that kiss…

If only.

"Take my rosary…"

Yumi looked at Sachiko puzzled, "Excu—what?!"

"The rosary…"

"What about it?"

"I would like for you to have it."

"How many times will I have to tell you that I don't want you rosary? It's never been about the rosary, it's never been about becoming your petite soeur!"

"…"

"To tell you the truth, it was never about you to begin with," Yumi looked down, "But then," she looked back up before continuing, "Then you were nice… so goddamn nice!"

"Yumi…"

"At first I didn't want your rosary because I didn't want to get involved. After that, I didn't want the rosary because…"

 _Fuck it!_ Yumi thought. It all had hit the fan anyway, one more thing wouldn't make a difference, "…the rosary wasn't enough anymore."

"It's the most precious thing I own," Sachiko said discouraged.

"But you are worth so much more, Sachiko."


	17. One Man Drinking Games

A/N: At this point, I hope we all agree that Noriko needs some sort of distraction... This distraction; however, puts Touko in quite a bind.

I'd like to add a quick disclaimer (while trying not to spoil things too much) as this chapter will touch the topic of suicide - nothing graphic, of course.

As always, thank you for sticking around!

* * *

Noriko ran as fast as she could barefoot and holding on to her shoes, one in each hand; her backpack bounced haphazardly against her back. Only when she finally stopped sprinting she realized she was crying; she wondered why for a moment, sitting on the bench by the bus stop, and as the reasons for the tears running down her face right then and there started to flourish, she cried even more; heaving for a breath she had lost way back in Furano.

She gasped a second then a third time finally realizing what was also happening. _Great timing_ , she thought, her airways constricting. The wheezing continued while she reached into her pocket and brought the inhaler to her mouth.

Feeling faint from the running she wasn't used to doing, she sat there; her chest tight, her heart racing, she lied to herself, _Everything is fine, everything is just fine._

She never thought people to be perfect, Noriko wasn't that naïve; nevertheless, she chuckled at the incredible way she had been hit with the cruel reality that people are flawed, that everything she thought Shimako to be had been a simple fabrication from her own mind, crumbling at the very first interaction with the older girl.

 _Way to shoot yourself in the foot, Nijou Noriko!_

Noriko then thought of Sachiko's words, " _We are by no means perfect in any way shape or form."_ How wonderfully fitting that Ogasawara Sachiko had warned her; Ogasawara Sachiko, heiress of the Ogasawara Company, had asked Noriko to stop thinking the Yamayurikai was comprised of perfect princesses. _Flawed,_ she thought again. Flawed like herself for allowing her heart to think Shimako could be Maria-sama-like. Flawed, for constantly thinking of someone who gave zero shits about the things she treasured the most.

What an incredible way to land after the fall.

Noriko stood up quietly and watched three older men walk down the steps slowly and exit the bus. She then boarded the old coach, her shoes, overly tied, cutting off her circulation and making her toes tingle – a simple reminder that although her chest was numb and hollow, her body was still able to feel.

Only when Noriko was finally back in the city, she bothered to grab headphones from her backpack and as she plugged them into her phone, she saw she had two missed calls and three text messages pending response. Touko was persistent.

Would you have time to talk today? I don't want things to be awkward between us.

9:14 AM

I just wanted to speak with you regarding what happened yesterday. I won't take long.

9:25 AM

Yumi-sama says you sleep in on Sundays… I'm sorry if I woke you up. Would you mind if I stopped by your home in a few hours?

11:00 AM

Checking her missed calls, she took a long breath; she wanted that day to be over already. She wanted to go home and hide from the world. She wanted to go back to bed and sleep away that day, but Touko wasn't going to let that happen. And according to Sumireko's voice message, Noriko's day couldn't end quite yet.

###

"I am very sorry for showing up uninvited," Touko bowed deeply when she saw Noriko enter the living room, "I just… couldn't sleep last night. I don't want you thinking that you are responsible for anything that happened between Kanako and me yesterday."

"Touko-chan has told me the story, Riko-chan," Sumireko said when Noriko's eyes flew to the older woman, "How about you go clean up and meet us in the kitchen for dinner?" Then Sumireko looked at Touko, "That will give us time to finish our tea. What do you think?"

Noriko answered, "Hai…" and quietly went up the stairs.

When she walked downstairs, hair still wet from the shower which made a mark on her shirt where the water dripped, she stood on the tile for a long while before entering the kitchen, the cold floor, a benediction to her cursed feet. She pressed her toes down firmly against the hard surface trying to appease every inch of those beaten down limbs.

Then after a while, she stepped into the kitchen to find Sumireko handing Touko a bowl of rice, "It's hot, Touko-chan."

"I got it, Sumireko-sama," Touko smiled. A sincere smile, one without hesitation or questioning, a smile which made Noriko happy to see reaching the always so stoic Matsudaira Touko's eyes, allowing those two chocolate pools to shine ever so brightly and it was hopeful and full of strength.

"I'll get the water," Noriko said, reaching into the fridge and grabbing a pitcher.

"Your feet!" Sumireko exclaimed.

"Oh…" Noriko looked up, "I had my shoes tied too tightly, that's all."

"And that gave you those blisters!?"

"I guess so."

Sumireko shook her head, "That's weird..."

"It's happened to me before, Sumireko-sama," Touko tried to help.

"Oh."

The trio went on to share dinner together, Sumireko making small talk about how Noriko needed to take care of the blisters soon and Touko saying she could help out popping them after they ate, then going on to compliment, very politely, Sumeko's cooking skills, "I'd like to have the recipe for the vegetables, Sumireko-sama."

"I'll have Riko e-mail it to you," Sumireko said, a proud smile adorning the older woman's face, "Now, how about you girls go upstairs?" She asked, "The first-aid kit is under the sink in the bathroom, Touko-chan, my dear."

Touko nodded, "Hai."

"Do your best!"

As Touko followed Noriko up the stairs, she couldn't help but think of the day she wandered for hours on end until she found Yumi's home back in high school. She was lucky to have people like her onee-sama around her. She had friends who loved her, friends who would go out of their way to protect her in many ways, but also friends who wanted the best for her and who weren't afraid of speaking the truth. She was lucky all right.

"My bedroom is the one to your right, I'll go get the first-aid box. Sit on the bed if you want to."

Touko said, "okay," and pushed Noriko's bedroom door open.

To Touko's surprise, the room was incredibly neat despite a wet towel lying on the bed. Two movie posters adorned the wall by Noriko's bed and on the wall adjacent to the bed's, there was an old anime poster full of boys in gold and silver armor, The Knights of the Zodiac, written toward the bottom of the poster. Touko analyzed the drawing, the lines, the way the title was written, and figured the anime was probably released in the 80's as the eyes lacked the westernized features that many of the 70's artists used. She thought of Onii-sama-e… and felt a tug in her heart. _To hell with that ending,_ she mused. _To hell with it._

"You could have sat, you know, "Noriko said when she walked in, then handed Touko the first-aid kit.

"I know. I was just… looking around…" Touko said, and watched Noriko move the towel from her bed before sitting down, " You're finding out all of my secrets," the brunette smiled.

"I sure hope I'm not!" Touko responded, walking toward Noriko and asking, "May I?" then waiting for the okay to joing Noriko.

"If we pop the blisters, they should heal faster and they won't bother you as much." Touko said, and reached for Noriko's right foot.

"Whatever you say, Doctor Matsudaira."

Touko held on to Noriko's big toe carefully and examined one of the blisters for a little bit, running her thumb atop of the bubble, "It shouldn't hurt at all, I'm just poking the skin so that we can drain the fluid," she carefully pinched the blister with both her thumb and index finger, and punctured it with a needle she had disinfected, "And voila!" She looked up and smiled.

"Thank you."

"It's no problem at all!" Touko answered as she poked the blister at the ball of Noriko's foot.

"I mean, thank you for the help with the blisters, but also thank you for not prying…"

"It's no problem at all…" she repeated herself, this time looking straight at Noriko and smiling sincerely before continuing, "Whatever made you run with no shoes on is none of my business. You must have had your reasons."

"But… I was all over _your_ business yesterday."

"Because you felt it was a pressing matter." Touko was reaching for Noriko's left foot when she said, "It needed to happen. My talk with Kanako, I mean. It wasn't your fault… It has always been mine."

"Touko-san," Noriko reached for Touko's hand, ever so slowly so to allow the girl to stop what she was doing, then she took the needle away from the former Rosa Chinensis and held on to Touko's hand firmly, before bringing her into a hug.

Touko's back stiffened at first; it wasn't often that she was embraced – save for Yumi, of course – and Noriko's body was warm, her grip around Touko's small frame was firm and protective. And after not too long, Touko relaxed, allowing herself the luxury of being held tightly; the warmth of that gesture reaching her chest and serving as another swing at the wall Touko had built around her heart.

She felt it crumble.

And she felt the warm tears fall and land on Noriko's shoulder, then Touko arms followed Noriko's lead, enveloping the brunette's waist with all of Touko's strength, though with the carefulness and humbleness only a broken heart could provide.

"She never thought I could love her," Touko said in a whisper, tears still streaming down her face.

"She was probably trying to protect herself, Touko-san. Kanako-san doesn't seem like someone who would just jump into things without analyzing the situation around her beforehand."

"She's very much like that," Touko answered proudly.

"She thinks the world of you, Touko-san."

"I know..."

"And you feel the same way, huh?"

"Hai…" Touko admitted quietly, "I can't get her out of my head! No matter what I do or where I go, she's with me, always!"

"Then you need to stop thinking you're not fit to be by her side, Touko-san. You may be difficult to deal with, but she still thinks the sun shines out of your butt…" Noriko said, then felt Touko's shoulder shake – the girl was laughing.

The two girls remained locked in that embrace for a long while with only silence surround the pair until Touko's grip loosened up, then the girl with the curly pigtails looked at Noriko, her face as serious as Noriko had ever seen, "Noriko," Touko said, leaving the honorific behind as she looked at the girl in front of her and smiled – friends could do that, right?

"Touko…" Noriko answered with a smile of her own.

Yes, friends could do that!

"I should tell her."

"You should."

"I should!" Touko said.

"You should tell her right now," Noriko said and handed her cellphone to Touko. "I got this," the doctor-to-be said, and fished out her own phone from her back pocket. Since Kanako was on her list of favorites, it only two a few swipes to call the raven-haired girl.

"Voicemail," Touko mouthed. "Hey Kanako-san, this is Touko… Matsudaira…" she looked up at Noriko, her cheeks flushed, and shook her head as if saying, _I'm an idiot…_ but Noriko simply raised her eyebrows and motioned with her hands, "go on!" she whispered. "Uh… I… am, the only Touko you know, heh…" she trailed off again, but then tried harder, "I wanted to see, talk, see and talk to you if you can see… and talk to me tonight, so give me a call back. Thanks!" And she dropped the call; her face burning, she addressed Noriko, "That was terrible," then she pressed the icon on her phone with Kanako's picture again, and for her surprise the lines connected after the second ring, "Kana—"

"She hung up…"

"Text her," Noriko said, "Text her and tell her you're headed her way."

"But what if she doesn't want to see me?"

"She wants to see you..."

"Yesterday she didn't sound like she wanted to see me anymore."

"You didn't tell her what she needed to hear yesterday, you're going to tell her today. She'll want to see you." Noriko finished, hoping it wasn't to late for Touko to work things out with Kanako.

###

"Is she home? Noriko asked.

"Nana-san told me she dropped her off this morning…"

When Noriko asked, "Do you know where she lives?" Touko looked at the brunette with a bit of outrage, "Of course I know where she lives!"

"I… just wanted to make sure. Maybe you should head her way soon?" Noriko asked and stood, though Touko didn't move. "I'm not finished with your blisters," she said, then extended her hand and asked for the needle, "Ill get you patched up before we go."

"We?"

"You broke it, you fix it," Touko said, a funny smiled adorning her lips, "Now, sit down."

Noriko obliged, though the brunette couldn't help but ask, "What is up with you guys and your weird sayings?"

"Onee-sama says that all the time, but the phrase comes from Rei-sama," Touko explain the origin of the saying while popping the last few blisters.

###

Touko parked the car and watched Noriko slip her shoes on before she jumped out. "It's over there," the former Rosa Chinensis said, pointing to a two-story brick house with a very cute front-yard which had been nicely illuminated by streetlights, though instead of approaching the front door, Touko walked toward the side of the house and looked up to make sure Kanako's bedroom light was on. _Thank Jesus-sama she's home!_ Touko thought, and walked back to where Noriko stood.

"She's home."

"Call her again. I'll ring the bell."

Touko answered, "Hai," and proceeded to call Kanako.

"Noriko!" Touko shouted after hanging up, then pointed again to the side of the property where a maple tree stood, ever so tall, and amongst the crown, one could see a small, yellow tree house.

"Go ahead." I'll wait by the car. Just call me when she opens the door."

And with that, Touko turned to the tree, climbing the neatly tied stairs made of rope. Her heart swelled up with each step she took leading her closer to Kanako; leading her closer to the girl she had dreamed of for so long. And she thought of how wonderful it would feel to finally have Kanako in her arms and to hold her tightly and to caress the face she liked so much; running her fingers over the dark eyebrows and sliding them toward her cheekbones; tracing imaginary lines across her jaw and chin to finally land atop of lips, feeling the softness of that mouth with fingertips first before the urge of kissing Kanako was too much she couldn't resist any longer.

That thought; the simple idea of standing in Kanako's bedroom and having the dark-haired girl all to herself made the butterflies in Touko's stomach go wild. Touko just needed to explain herself, she just needed Kanako to understand that the fear which kept Touko from opening up derived from her own inability to see beyond what was in front of her; the lack of understanding that there was so much more to life than trying to prove to her parents that even though she was not a Matsudaira by blood she was one by intent. And truly, Touko was indeed all her parents dreamed she'd be: intelligent, owner of her own opinion, hard-worker, and in her heart of hearts: kind. Matsudaira Touko was kind, yes; at times it took a while to finally see Touko's real intentions toward people, and many times the brunette came across as unyielding and spoiled, but Touko, in her own ways, had a very kind soul – Yumi learned that first-handed as she fought Touko's stubbornness before finally making the brunette her petite soeur. Things; however, had to be done in Touko's time, making simple situations as convoluted as they could become; case in point the position she found herself in, climbing up a tree in hopes to mend her relationship with the girl she cherished the most.

When Touko opened the window which led to Kanako's bedroom, she thought of the many times she had gone up that rope-ladder, around the tree house and climbed through Kanako's window to bring the tall girl a bottle of wine when she was feeling down, or chocolate when _Aunt Flo_ – as Touko called it – came to visit. All of those times, what Touko really wanted was to stand in Kanako's dim lit room and proclaim in whispers the desires of her heart. Touko imagined how wonderful it would be telling Kanako the sweetest of the words as the former Rosa Chinensis watched her best friend fall out of her clothes.

Closing the window behind her, Touko called Kanako quietly first, then a bit louder the second time around, "Kanako-sa~~n?" She poked her head in the hallway that led down the stairs, then walked back in, and headed toward the bathroom.

Turning on the light, Touko whispered Kanako's name one more time before she dropped to her knees when her eyes finally focused on the bathroom floor.

Touko could feel her heart beating in her throat when she crawled toward an unresponsive Kanako, curl up in a ball by the toilet, her lips dry, her face pale.

"Kanako-sa! Kanako-san!" she said through clenched teeth, then reached for the girl's wrist to take her pulse.

"Kanako!" Touko screamed as tears rolled down her face freely.

She reached into her pocket.

"She there?" Noriko answered her phone without saying hello.

"Noriko!"

Without saying anything else, Noriko dropped the call and ran toward the side of the house, climbing up the maple tree; with each step she took, she felt the loose skin under her feet move back and forth and it hurt, but it had to wait.

Inside, Touko moved Kanako onto her back and put her ear to the girl's chest to hear a faint heartbeat, then quickly moved the girl back onto her side. She lifted her head and regarded bathroom for the first time that evening; everything looked perfectly arranged, a hand towel hanging by the mirror, Kanako's towel, still damp from a shower that must have happened a few hours prior to that minute, was suspended by a hook attached to the door, the bathroom still smelled like shower, like Kanako.

Though the pleasant fragrance wouldn't last long as the tall girl proceeded to dry heave.

"Oh, my God!" Noriko whispered, both her hands covering her mouth, when she reached the bathroom, "What happened?"

"I don't know!" Touko used all of her strength to hold Kanako up and somewhat toward the toiled, while the girl vomited.

"Do you need help?"

"I got her."

"Do we need to call someone?"

"I already did," Touko answered, still looking around, while holding on to Kanako. "Noriko, look in her bedroom… we need to figure out what she took," she finished.

"Okay," Noriko said and ran to the bedroom, frantically looking around for traces of anything unusual. She checked under the bed covers, under the bed, Kanako's nightstand and then moved toward the dresser across from the bed where she found an empty bottle of vodka in one of the drawers. The brunette grabbed the bottle and as she ran back to the bathroom, she heard Touko cry out, "Godammit, Kanako!"

When the brunette reentered the bathroom, Touko handed her an empty bottle of prescription medicine.

Noriko could feel her heart drop to her stomach.

###

At the hospital, Noriko sat by Touko for a long time – despite the fact the former Rosa Chinensis was covered in Kanako's vomit – before she quietly saw the interaction between the Matsudaira heiress and Kanako's father and step-mother; and just by the way they held on to Touko so tightly, it was clear that the couple thought the world of the brunette.

From a coffee machine placed in the hallway, Noriko also watched as Yumi power walked through the entrance of the hospital with Sachiko following closely behind; the brunette anxiously looking around until her eyes landed on Touko, then she sprinted to where her petite soeur was sitting, getting on her knees and holding Touko tightly for a long while.

Noriko saw Touko's shoulder shake as the girl buried her face in Yumi's shoulder.

Touko cried for a long time.

Noriko felt tears of her own spill forth.

* * *

A/N: In the Anime/Light Novel, Noriko is very much fond of Touko, and I'd say, the number one fan of YumixTouko soeurship. I wanted to give them the opportunity to become good friends in this story also - and since they meet after Touko and Yumi become soeurs, I figured Touko would be more open to accepting Noriko as a confidant.

If you can, let me know your thoughts!

Cheers!


	18. Kintsukuroi

A/N: Hello!

As always, thank you for reading! It means a lot to me :)

* * *

"Riko-chan!"

The brunette kept on walking.

"Riko-chan!"

She didn't turn around.

"Nijou Noriko-chan!" Yumi grabbed a handful of shirt and pulled Noriko, only then the brunette stopped walking, "You're avoiding me!"

"I'm not."

"But you so are!"

Noriko had finally looked at Yumi, a blush painting her cheeks.

She felt responsible for what had transpired with Kanako; it was a burden Noriko was still trying to figure out how to live with. She was also embarrassed and had absolutely no idea how to tell Yumi about her encounter with Shimako; the girl was one of Yumi's best friends, she didn't even have to ask, the strength of that relationship was plastered on both Yumi's and Shimako's faces when they spoke to one another at the Rose Mansion.

To have been introduced to Shimako as Yumi's friend, to have become part of that group to the point Noriko had been invited to help decorate the Rose Mansion, to have been trusted with so much and to end up offending someone who was so dear to the entire Yamayurikai, all of that had Noriko thinking it was best to simply stand on the sidelines for a while.

"I haven't seen you all week, Riko-chan! It's like you're hiding something, vanishing into thin air every time I try to find you on campus…." Yumi said, her voice a bit louder than normal. The older girl was clearly worried, "What's going on?!"

"…"

"Noriko," Yumi reached for the younger girl's hand, "You are not responsible for what happened to Kanako-chan."

"I know…" Noriko lied.

###

When Touko was finally allowed to see Kanako in the hospital, she stopped by the door in an attempt to pull herself together before facing the girl who had gone to the extent of trying to take her own life because of Touko's stupidity.

Free from her trademark swirly pigtails, Touko's hair lay pass her shoulders. The wavy locks been washed and she had changed clothes – thankfully she and Yumi wore the same size pants and though Touko's chest was undoubtedly larger than Yumi's, she could still pull off wearing her onee-sama's sweater without worrying too much about looking terribly inappropriate.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and pushed the door open. The heart rate machine beeped a couple of times as Touko crossed the room, closing the distance between her and the dark-haired girl lying in bed with eyes closed. As tall as Kanako was, she looked small, her face was still pale and her lips were not as bright as they normally were.

It was almost surreal to be standing in front of that bed in the middle of the night, after begging with ardor that Maria-sama didn't take Kanako away from her, because there were so many things the brunette still wanted – no, needed – to tell Kanako, because there were so many questions Touko still wanted to ask and so many places she wanted to show Kanako. Because there were so many kisses Touko still needed to steal – starting with the first one – because there was so much to discover about herself, and Touko didn't want to do it alone.

She reached for Kanako's hand, the girl's fingers were cold and trembling; such a contrast compared to Touko's steady and warm.

"Kanako," Touko whispered, her eyes welling up with tears, "You scared me…" she choked up, "You scared me so much. I thought I was going to lose you. I thought I—" Touko stopped mid-sentence, and as she turned around to face the door, Kanako tightened her grip around the former Rosa Chinensis' hand, "Hey" was all it took for the walls around Touko to completely shatter, and the girl wept like a child.

"I'm sorry for troubling you," Kanako said.

"You are not being serious, are you?"

"Why wouldn't I be serious?" Kanako's voice sounded hoarse, her throat complained; nevertheless, she continued, "All this time, I've inconvenienced you."

"…"

"I'd like for you to go," Kanako said, then turned away from Touko and added, "Please."

"Is that really what you want?"

"Hai."

"You really want me to go?" Touko asked again.

With all of the strength she could muster, Kanako cried, "Go!" Though Kanako's voice begged otherwise, Touko walked toward the door, every step she took was a stronger jab into a heart which was completely bare.

Touko held on to the door handle and twisted it, she then opened the door and looked up at an empty corridor, overly-illuminated by fluorescent lights.

Then Touko closed the door.

"No."

"…"

"I'm not going anywhere," Touko said, approaching Kanako's bed once more, "If you want me out of your room, you'll have to call security," she proceeded to untie her shoes, taking them off, then carefully placing them under a chair and climbed in bed.

"Touko," was all Kanako's brain could come up with when Touko's chest pressed against her back. When the raven-haired girl thought that nothing at that moment could top the torrent of warmth which had conquered her entire body, Touko reached for her hand, interlacing her fingers with Kanako's and warmth was too weak of a word to define that feeling; Kanako was in the heart of a forest fire.

Lips against Kanako's nape – thanks to the ponytail a nurse used to gather the tall girl's hair, Touko teased, "Go ahead and call security," she then squeezed her arm between the bed and Kanako's neck, bringing the girl even closer to her if that was even physically possible, "I'm not going anywhere."

"…"

Then after a long silence Touko chuckled before saying, "A couple years ago…when I hid the red card inside that Guide to Italy… it was no mistake that I placed it between the pages with pictures of the Sistine Chapel – I wanted you to find the card. I wanted you to go on a date with me. I wanted to take you out, to have lunch with you, buy you coffee, share a piece of cake with you. And maybe, we could hold hands, so I could appease, even if it was a minuscule bit, this incessant burning that I feel in my chest every time you step into the room," Touko paused for a long while, her lips still grazing Kanako's neck, "Kanako," she smiled, "I want you to know that you made it really hard for me not to adore you…" the former Rosa Chinensis quoted Kanako's sentence from the previous day.

"You can't play with my heart like that Touko-san. You can't say those things just because of what I did ton—"

"I'm not!" Touko interrupted, "It's not because of what happened tonight… I went to your house to talk to you, to tell you that I can't stop thinking about you since the day we were both late for the amusement park because none of us knew we were waiting for each other at opposite sides of the train station. We were always waiting… I was never willing to make a move, scared that if I did, I'd lose balance, that I'd disappoint my parents, that I'd disappoint you, because truthfully, I just don't know how to be any other way than like this..."

"Touko…"

"So, call security if you want to, because I'm not moving. I'm staying here. I've already lost so much time being an idiot."

###

"Then if it's not Kanako-chan, what is it?"

"…"

"I can't help if I don't know what's going on…"

Was that it? Was that what friendship really was? Was that what Noriko had been missing for so long: someone who loved her for whom she was, someone who wanted to be part of whatever the fuck was going on with her; someone who would look for her relentlessly for days on end, who would go in and out of laboratories and libraries in hopes to find her, to talk to her, to ask her what was going on, to plead with teary eyes that she opened her mouth and spoke about the trembling in her chest and the fears in her heart? Was that it, and if so, did Noriko really want to let go of it when she had just learn how wonderful it was?

"It's… complicated, Yumi-sama," Noriko said with downcast eyes, and watched Yumi's hand take a hold of hers, the strong grip answering many of Noriko's questions. "I don't read mind, Riko-chan… Or at least I haven't learned that trick yet."

Noriko smiled at last, "And here I was thinking you were a Jedy."

"Close, but not quite there yet."

The girls looked at each other for a long while, Yumi's hand still holding on to Noriko's and she have it a stronger squeeze before asking, "Talk to me?"

"So, you really don't know…"

"Would I be asking you if I knew anything?"

"Nobody said anything to you…"

"Riko-chan…"

"It's… I've disrespected someone who's important to you."

"Was it Sei-sama? You're worried about that boor? She does need to get hit in the back of the head once in a while," Yumi smiled, "You worry too much! C'mon, I'll buy you coffee, fill you in on our newest field trip idea."

Noriko held on to Yumi's hand using both of hers, "Yumi-sama!" she pulled Yumi's hand down forcefully, "Wait!"

"Riko-chan?"

"It wasn't Sei-sama. It was… the other Rosa Gigantea."

 _The other Rosa Gigantea?_ Yumi thought; forgetting for a second that Shimako had returned to Tokyo, she drew a blank while trying to place each girl into their respective Rose category: _Touko-chan goes under Rosa Chinensis, Nana-chan goes under Rosa Foetida,_ she thought, then looked at Noriko puzzled.

"Shimako-sama…" The younger girl said, twisting her face like she had jammed her finger in a door.

"Shimako-san?" Yumi asked a bit confused, "When? At the Rose Mansion?" she added.

"At her father's shrine."

"The Shoguji temple?"

Noriko shook her head, yes, "She made me angry."

"Shimako-san… made you angry?"

"And I blew up."

"I'm sure it wasn't as bad as you're thinking…"

"It was pretty bad."

"Okay… Go on…"

"I told her to run her head through a wall."

"Damn!"

"Yumi-sama, please…"

"Sorry, sorry... She must have said something to rub you the wrong way, right? Unless you like screaming at nuns."

"…"

"Come on! This is pretty hilarious! I've known Shimako-san for a long time; she can be very… candid at times. Walk with me, Riko…"

And so they walked off campus, crossing a few streets before stopping at the coffee shop Yumi frequented at times, all the while Noriko explained to Yumi with details what had transpired between her and Shimako at the Shoguji temple.

"You know…" Yumi took a seat at across from Noriko, "If that's the juzu I'm thinking it is… I've broken it once before."

Noriko remained silent for a while looking down into the coffee mug in front of her, the liquid still swirling from being stirred by the brunette. She thought of Takuya's comment about the praying beads being repaired once before.

"Is it the one who was her grandmother's or something? Baby blue beads, and the center bead has the outline of Buddha in it?"

"Hai…"

"Heh," Yumi scratched the back of her head, "Sachan and I played tug-of-war with it in the chapel once…"

"You're making this up…"

"I wish I was!" Yumi smiled, one side of her mouth a bit higher than the other.

"Do you know how much that juzu is worth?" Noriko asked.

"A lot," Yumi answered nonchalantly, bringing the coffee to her lips, "Sachan told me its price when she had her dad send it overseas to be repaired."

"How can you sound so indifferent knowing the juzu is invaluable…"

"Hang on there, don't be so rash. Has anybody ever told you, you're awfully bratty sometimes?"

"…"

"Riko-chan," Yumi said seriously, "It was never our intention to break Shimako's juzu; it was… an accident. But because of it we were able to delay Shimako's departure to the Cloister by almost two years! The juzu ended up being a… casualty. To us, Shimako is way more important than a piece of jewelry. If I had to break fifteen of those praying beads in order to have Shimako smile the way she did after everything was said and done, then I'd break each one of them myself."

"Only three of those praying beads survived the war."

Yumi smiled satisfied, "Then I'd break all three of them, no problem."

"Yumi-sama…"

"Disappointed?"

"Surprised."


	19. Since You've Been Around

A/N: Hello!

This is a long chapter, but it was a blast to write. If you enjoyed reading it, let me know! :)

* * *

When Noriko received a very secretive invitation from Sachiko a week before they had decided to meet at the Amusement Park, it was hard for the brunette not to wonder what outrageous maneuver the heiress was about to pull off that day.

Sachiko didn't like roller coasters, Noriko had been informed of that the first time she spent the night at the lake house with her then new friends, and she had figured that the reason why the heiress held a grudge against those types of rides was because of the issues she had with motion sickness – same issues which made her detest car rides, unless she was the one piloting, and that was an entire different issue in and of itself.

Nevertheless, to have asked for a meeting with Noriko, in the middle of the week, to discuss that silly trip, was clearly a bit of overreaction.

Still, Noriko couldn't say no; so after her last class, she quickly jumped into a bus toward J-station and before she stepped into the tram toward Lillian University, she spotted none but Todou Shimako boarding it as well, _Just a silly coincidence, Noriko, take a seat, read your book,_ she ordered herself, hiding in a corner toward the back.

Noriko read chapter five, paragraph sixteen, nine times before closing her textbook and putting it back into her backpack. Truth be told, it was a difficult task to keep her soul from mixing with Shimako's; to keep looking away as she thought of the conversation she had with Yumi and the way the former Rosa Chinensis simply dismissed the value of the juzu, focusing on how priceless Shimako's heart was instead.

It was a difficult task indeed, the war waging inside of Noriko, where her heart begged for her to apologize, but her mind hesitated, _What if she's not all that Yumi thinks she is?_ she asked herself.

All the while she felt the red string of fate, strong and unyielding loop around her wrists, though she couldn't see that on the other side of that same string, Shimako was also tied in a similar fashion.

And she pondered for a long while about how she, alone, could find the strength to brave that feverish flush on her own knowing –assuming – very well that Shimako had already chosen her fate years ago; that she'd choose solitude over everything, even her friends.

Yumi was wrong, Noriko concluded: the juzu was still invaluable because it didn't have the ability to be fickle, to make bad decisions, to disappoint people.

The train stopped and Noriko shrunk in her seat like a tortoise getting ready to be hit by a car in the middle of the interstate. Then as the doors closed again, Noriko exhaled.

"Next stop Lillian University main entrance," the pleasant voice coming from the train speakers notified the passengers. Noriko stood by the door with eyes closed until she felt the train come to a full stop, and the doors finally opened.

###

Lillian University looked very much like its high school sister, with old buildings and dark green grass. Fall; however, had covered the trees in the most wonderful orange, yellows and reds, and Noriko couldn't help but look mesmerized at that spectacle which preceded the shedding of those leaves.

Entering the cafeteria and looking around to make sure she was indeed in the correct wing of the school, Noriko took the liberty of getting herself a cup of coffee from the self-serve area, and paid the cashier with two bills, putting the change she received deep in one of her pockets.

Then Noriko spotted Sachiko and Sei sitting at the very back of the dining area. Sei's shoulders shook, Noriko could hear the loud laughter from across the room; it was wonderful how the blonde could make her smile even though she had done nothing but laugh.

"And then Yoshino was like, "I will now swallow a sword, and Rei died! Hahahaha!"

"Yoshino," Sei looked at Sachiko and flipped her bangs to the side trying to impersonate the Prince, "I thought we had talked about this before. Hahahaha!"

"Ah! Hah! Noriko-chan, over here!"

"Am I late?" Noriko asked.

"Nope, we're still waiting on Rosa Gigantea."

"Shimako-sama?" Noriko asked.

"She said she was running a little behind. I hope that won't be an inconvenience?"

"Not at all," Noriko lied, "Since we're still waiting, can I top off your drinks?" she asked, sitting her cup on the table and waiting for the girls' affirmative responses. Noriko then took their cups and walked back toward the hot drink station. When she returned, tea and coffee in hand, Sei stared at her for a second too long, her eyes closing like she needed to squint in order to really see Noriko's face, "Shimako could have used someone like you when she was Rosa Gigantea, you know…"

"Eh?!"

"Satou-san!"

"I'm serious, though. Noriko is cute, reliable and smart."

"You just described a Labrador," Noriko interjected.

Sei crossed her arms atop of her chest, "I stand behind my comment."

"You don't win very many arguments against Youko-sama, do you, Sei-sama?"

"I win every single one, thank you very much." Sei said and glanced at the door where she spotted Shimako, "Rosa Gigantea!"

Shimako smiled, making her way around the cafeteria's round tables, the same stoic demeanor as always, and the ability to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders all the while floating in that weightless waltz which was her walk.

Nevertheless, as Shimako kept on floating toward Noriko's table, the brunette couldn't quite explain that scene where Shimako was Maria-sama-like though human. It was a mixture of heavenly and tainted, generous and selfish all packed up neatly into that creature with the most wonderful gray eyes Noriko had ever seen.

 _Jesus fucking Christ_ , Noriko thought, and reprimanded herself for cursing, but there it was again, that force which all but sucked the soul from her body.

"Gokigenyou, Onee-sama, Sachiko-sama, Noriko-chan."

"Gokigenyou," Noriko said softly and quickly stood up, "How do you take your tea?" the brunette struggled with the simple question.

"Milk and sugar," Shimako answered, her eyes burning through Noriko's soul, and the brunette could feel her face heat up as she walked yet again toward the tea station, _How can she keep a straight face like that?_

###

Noriko had been instructed to stick with Shimako for the day, which raised a huge red flag on Sachiko's plan of surprising Yumi; however, trying to explain to Sachiko and Sei the reasons why their pairing was not ideal and why she was a bit hesitant about working with Shimako – while Shimako was sitting there – was most definitely not a good way to help Sachiko's plan, so Noriko sat there, and nodded yes to everything the heiress asked her to do.

"Gokigenyou, Noriko-chan," was all it took for the air to cease existing in Noriko's lungs.

When the brunette turned around, there Shimako was, black jeans on, a blue sweater covered by a light jacket with a similar tone, then behind Shimako, the big, stupid elephant which had not been addressed yet by neither girl.

"Gokigenyou."

"Do you have everything?" Shimako proceeded to ask.

"Yes. Do you?"

"Right here."

"Then…" Noriko pointed toward the bus stop.

They sat by each other in the bus, the clattering inside keeping the silence from deafening Noriko. And the elephant stood strong between the girls until the brunette couldn't take it any longer, "Shimako-sama…"

Then gray was all she could see, "About the other da—"

"I was angry..."

"You—"

"At father," Shimako said softly, "But I was angrier at myself, because I couldn't make up my mind... Since I was a child, I wanted to become a nun, and when I was ready to do so, I found myself torn between the present, my friends, the life I had become accustomed to leading, and the oath I had planned on taking; I couldn't have one without losing the other…"

"Shimako-sama…"

"I was greedy," Shimako looked down clasping her hands together.

"…"

"I had walked away from my friends, all but stepped down from my duties as Rosa Gigantea, and at the same time I couldn't bring myself to set a date for my departure… Father walked into my room one day and gave me an ultimatum: he told me that I was choosing not to choose and that if I didn't leave that next morning, I wouldn't be going anywhere else… You've met my father, the man would have never followed through with that promise, but that didn't help me… " Shimako's had tears in her eyes when she explained, "So, I was brash… I… picked up the juzu's bag and—"

"You don't have to tell me, Shimako-sama " Noriko interrupted, and the tears in Shimako's eyes, stubbornly threatening to fall, crushed Noriko's heart to the point that justifications were simply unnecessary.

And right then, looking into those two pools of gray, Noriko understood what Yumi had said before about Shimako's worth, "I am sorry, I assumed things."

"I would have done the same..." Shimako started, "The praying beads; they are rare and like you said, invaluable."

Noriko said nothing else, did nothing else, she felt; however, the tug in her soul, the force drawing her toward Shimako.

That morning, when they exited the bus, Noriko saw cherry blossom petals in Shimako's hair.

###

The sky was a bit overcast, though Noriko saw no signs of rain.

Three kids crossed their path laughing and squealing like nothing else really mattered as soon as Shimako and the brunette stepped foot into the park. The smell of fried dough, the loud music playing from the various attraction and game stands, the combination of lights and sounds and smells made Noriko's heart feel a bit homesick for her parents whom she hadn't seen in more than a month; the Nijous; however, understood that Noriko had to do what she had to do in Tokyo and so, although there were always invitations from mom and dad, the couple was never forceful when Noriko couldn't make the three-hour-long trip.

Dropping off the items for Sachiko's surprise in lockers by the entrance, Shimako and Noriko started to walk toward the Ferris wheel which was right in the center of the park, though even before they could see the middle of the attraction, Shimako called on somebody, "Tsutako-san! Shouko-chan!"

Both girls turned around, and while Tsutako said "Shimako-san!" she reached into Shouko's back pocket, withdrawing a disposable camera and snapping a picture of the former Rosa Gigantea and her new acquaintance.

"Tsutako!"

"What?"

"You said…"

"Five minutes in and I already lost the bet, huh… It was well worth it!" Tsutako mumbled, then proceeded to take a picture of Shouko.

"Tsutako-onee-sama!" Shouko squealed, fumbling with how to address her onee-sama before greeting Shimako.

"Ah, gokigenyou, Shouko-chan!"

"I'm Takeshima Tsutako," The girl with glasses introduced herself to Noriko.

"Nijou Noriko, pleasure to meet you. I've seen some of your early photos, they're incredible."

"If you say those things too often, onee-sama's head will grow so big, she won't fit in any ride."

"Shouko!"

Truth be told, Shouko was as pleased with Noriko's compliment as Tstutako was. From fan to petite soeur to friend to perhaps even more than friend, Shouko had traveled a long path in order to make Tsutako see the short blonde as someone more than that kid who followed the Ace around Lillian.

Tsutako herself wasn't quite ready to admit to Shouko that she had been her favorite subject to photograph for a long while now. So the two were still playing that weird game where saying how they felt was prohibited.

Good thing for Tsutako Shouko was a patient girl!

The two pairs walked toward the Ferris wheel, crossing the paths of adults, children, as well as people wearing shirts that said staff on their backs; others, dressed in costumes which varied from cowboys to lions. Noriko – who had been awfully quiet – noticed very quickly that Tsutako couldn't take her eyes off of Shouko. All the while the brunette tried hard to lift her soul over Shimako's, aiming it toward other things.

It was a hard task to steer that vessel against the heavy current.

"Yumi-san!" Tsutako reached for the camera in Shouko's back pocket again, snapping a picture of Yumi, Sachiko, Youko and Sei.

"And the others?" Shimako asked.

"Rei overslept, Yoshino just texted and asked us to save the teacup ride for later today…" was Yumi's response.

"They'll bring Nana, right?" Noriko asked.

"Yes," Yumi answered again, "Touko and Kanako are here, too, and the boys..."

"Mi-nee-chan! I'm ready to go!" Yuuki said, walking out of the bathroom with Suguru following behind.

"Ah, Riko-chan, this is my brother, Fukuzawa Yuuki, followed closely by the Prince of the Gingko Tree Country, Kashiwagi Suguru-san."

"Noriko-san," Suguru started, "Yumi-chan likes making me feel uncomfortable, please pay no attention to her."

###

In line for a ride which had been a simple suggestion by Touko, Noriko looked down at her shoes. She had worn the most comfortable sneakers she had; even so, the bigger blisters on the bottom of her feet, which were taking a tad too long to heal, were starting to complain.

Touko, who had been holding on to Kanako's hand ever since they joined Noriko and the others, had noticed the awkward rocking from side to side Noriko was performing, and had quickly realized what was going on with her friend.

A weird voice shouted, "All on board!" and Noriko watched people board the ride two by two, though as soon as Shimako sat down and fastened her seatbelt, Touko pushed Noriko to where Kanako was and sat by Shimako.

"Shoes off," Kanako demanded with a whisper once she heard the click of Noriko's safety belt.

"Kanako-san?"

"You're not going to lose them on this ride. Touko said you might need a rest and it's too early in the day for us to lose you."

 _Too early in the day…_ Why was Kanako sounding like there was a war to be fought and all bodies mattered?

In any case, Noriko untied her sneakers and wiggled her toes free, the cold air of fall cooling off the burning sensation from the blisters. Leaning back, she thanked Kanako.

"You know, I should be the one thanking you."

"But you saved me!"

"Noriko-san," Kanako reached for Noriko's hand, squeezing it tightly and looking up to meet the brunette's eyes.

"You know very well who saved whom here."

"…"

"Now, take your socks off, too. Doctor Matsudaira said that those blisters need to breath."

While Noriko's toes wiggled free from her shoes and socks, Touko had found herself in a difficult position as she sat silently by Shimako.

 _Think of something! Improvise!_ She thought.

 _We can talk about… petite soeurs – but she never took one._

 _Think, Touko, think!_

 _We can talk about the Cloister – it was clearly not for her._

 _We can talk about dead parents – Nope, nope, nope._

"You've changed, Touko-chan."

"Pardon-me?"

" It's the way things are supposed to be, of course, but it's a wonderful thing to watch…" Shimako trailed off.

"Thank you, Rosa Gigantea."

"I haven't been a rose for a while, Touko-chan."

"Then…"

"Then?"

"Thank you, Shimako-sama."

"That's much better," the older girl smiled satisfied and it was scary that it reminded Touko greatly of another white rose.

"You have changed as well, Shimako-sama."

"You think so?"

"More and more I see Sei-sama in you."

"And is that a good thing?"

"It most certainly is."

"I'm happy then."

Touko smiled.

"Now…"

 _Here we go_ , Touko thought.

"Don't think I didn't notice what you did earlier."

"…"

"Do you know why she's limping?"

"…"

"Touko-chan…"

"S-she has some pretty bad blisters, Shimako-sama"

"From what?"

"I'm afraid I don't know."

"You don't?"

"I helped popping them just a couple Sundays ago, she must have ran barefoot a long while though. But I never really asked…"

"I see," Shimako answered. "You've grown fond of her, right?"

"Of Noriko?" Touko asked, the honorific lost in space, and though Shimako noticed, she also figured those formalities had been long forgone by the two friends.

"Yes."

"It's not the fact that I will be forever indebted to her for starting the revolution that brought Kanako to me…It's..." Touko smiled, "A heart like that, Shimako-sama, a heart like that… and she has absolutely no idea that she's so wonderful."

"Touko…" Shimako smiled, "I am so glad you've let your walls down."

###

Everybody –besides Yuuki and Rei– had been excited to see Yoshino versus Teacup: Round Two. So when the gates opened, Yoshino grabbed on to Rei's hand and ran with the blonde to the same Teacup that had defeated the feisty brunette years ago.

Shouko took a picture of Yoshino and Rei, hand in hand, then turned to Tsutako and snapped a picture of the Ace – payback time!

From two teacups away, Noriko heard Yoshino shout, "You ready, Rei-chan?"

Rei had already spotted the restroom and as a skilled warrior, had developed a plan of attack for when a sick Yoshino asked for help.

The last time the two cousins were in that position, Yoshino had lost the battle against the Teacup, lost the fight with her own body and lost the food in her stomach. The only person who had lost more than Yoshino after that ride had been Rei, because Rei could never – didn't want to – win against Yoshino.

"There she goes again…" Yumi said, looking at Noriko and Shimako, "The kid doesn't know when to stop," she added when Yoshino started to twist the handle inside the cup even before the ride had commenced spinning.

"Is she going to get sick?" Noriko asked.

"Rei won't allow it," Shimako answered.

"Faster, Rei-chan! Fasteeeeeeer!"

"Think that's how she screams in bed?" Suguru asked Yuuki.

"Suguru-san!"

"I was just wondering!"

Shouko, who had snapped three pictures before her Teacup started to spin, took a fourth one as soon as she recovered from the ride: it was Yumi, looking rather gloomy while trying to find Sachiko amongst the sea of people watching the cups twirl.

Try as she might, Yumi wasn't able to find the heiress, which was an issue as the next ride was the one she was looking forward to the most. After much begging, Yumi had convinced Sachiko that although the cage shook a little, so long as Sachiko didn't look down, she'd be fine riding the high roller. But to have bailed on Yumi like that? Sachiko had a lot to explain…

"I win!" Yoshino stood up, both hands in the air, "I win!"

"Yes, Yoshino," Rei said, her arms sore from trying to slow down the spinning, "You win."

Yumi smiled at Yoshino on her way out of the ride, although she was disappointed that Sachiko had completely disappeared, she tried to put on a brave face.

"Ferris wheel! Ferris wheel!" Yoshino, The Warrior, chanted.

And then out of the corner of her eye, Yumi saw something… _nah, that couldn't be it…_ "Ferris wheel! Ferris wheel," the brunette joined the chant.

"But I'm hungry…" Suguru, interjected, followed by Yuuki's, "Yeah… I didn't want to say anything… but I'm pretty hungry, too."

"I could go for some curry," Sei added.

Then Touko took the lead, "I'd say we go get food and rendezvous here at…" she looked at her watch, "fifteen hundred?"

"Aaight captain!" Yuuki – who was very much a brother to Touko, joked, then started to walk toward the curry stand.

And just like that, thanks to Suguru, – who Noriko thought was also involved in Sachiko's Grand Maneuver (SGM for short) – Shimako and Noriko were able to walk toward the front entrance in order to retrieve SGM-related equipment.

"Take this," Shimako said, tossing a protein bar to Noriko as they made their way across the park.

"Thanks."

Then Shimako looked at Noriko seriously, "Earlier today… Thanks for letting me explain."

"Thank _you_ for wanting to…"

Then, stopping in front of the ride, Noriko looked up, "Do you think it's going to work?"

"Unless we break something, I'm pretty sure it'll be a successful move, Private Nijou-san."

"Excu—" Noriko was about to ask when Shimako broke into a giggle.

And all of the other sounds around the two girls ceased to exist.

 _Look away,_ were the words from her mind.

 _Look at it_ , her heart shouted louder.

It was a wonderful scene.

###

"There she is!"

"Where?"

"Over there!" Shimako pointed behind the Merry-go-round.

"Hohohoho! I see!"

Noriko wondered if Sachiko was counting on a swarm of children following her. _She is probably used to it, being a princess and all_. Still, it was kind of funny to watch.

"Are you okay with heights?" Shimako asked when they both stepped in.

"…Typically."

"You do look brave."

"Typically, I'm scared, was what I was actually going to say."

"You're –"

"Don't you think it's a bit too late to ask, though?"

"Come to think of it… you're right."

Noriko shrugged, the door had been closed and there wasn't much she could do anymore anyway, "How much time do we have, Sargent Major?"

"Sargent Major?" Shimako asked, stepping onto the seat and attaching a red string on her corner of the cage, then handing Noriko the other end.

"What? Do you prefer Rosa Gigantea instead?" They passed the ribbon back and forth.

"Then, if that's the case, you'd have to be my petite soeur…"

"Okay, onee-sama."

Shimako gasped, completely stopping what she was doing to stare at Noriko.

"…"

And the brunette, who had gone to a secular high school, had absolutely no idea how sacred those words really were, so much so that Shimako's face flushed immediately after she had been addressed so casually. It was incredible that a simple word could have absolutely no meaning to one person all the while weighing heavily on someone else.

"Too far?" Noriko asked, the silence too awkward to bear.

"It…"

"I'm sorry… It seems like I keep on upsetting you…"

"No… Don't apologize. It just… sounded so familiar," Shimako smiled, " You would have made a wonderful petite soeur, Noriko-chan…"

Noriko chuckled, "You probably would have never looked at me in high school…"

"Nonsense!"

"Shimako-sama…"

"…"

"You were Rosa Gigantea! I'd be a Buddhist in disguise, or better yet, a reverse Christian."

"…"

"I can see you being every little kouhai's dream. All of the girls blushing and squealing when you strolled around campus…"

"I saw nothing like that."

"C'mon! You're fucking gorge—"

Noriko blushed furiously at the blunder.

"You don't look too bad yourself," Shimako jumped off the seat, offsetting the cage and tumbling to Noriko's side, only stopping when the brunette held on to Shimako's waist with both hands, "Whoa, there!" She smiled, her face so close to Shimako's that she could see light brown strands statically attached to her deep raven tresses.

 _Was that how souls meshed, too?_ She wondered.

Then the door to the cage opened and they had to jump off.

"How much longer till three, Sargent Major?"

"Seven minutes, Private, can you ru—" Noriko held on firmly to Shimako's hand –the one with the rosary firmly wrapped around its wrist– and led the girl through the masses and across the park.

Shimako giggled the entire time.

###

Noriko felt her feet slide within her shoes and though she knew that was probably not a good sign, she proceeded to stand on her tippy-toes to help Shimako ready herself.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Shimako asked.

"I'll survive."

Then they walked out of the restroom and immediately were surrounded by tiny humans.

"Keep moving, Private!"

"Aaight, Ma'am!"

"Almost there!"

"I see it!"

"Do you see them?"

"Yes, but we won't be able to make it till next round."

"Then we stand here a while."

The burning in Noriko's feet worsened by the minute, but the brunette stood her ground until she saw people leaving the ride, "Let's go! Let's go!" the brunette screamed and started to swing her arms in a round motion like a cop would do when they want traffic to move.

Shimako followed Noriko closely until the two girls stopped in front of Yumi – who had been waiting in line for her turn with no signs of Sachiko around. Then Shimako took Yumi by one hand and Noriko by the other without saying a word to the brunette, who obliged with a chuckle. The two girls walked Yumi to the front of the Ferris wheel line and stood there waiting for the right cage to open.

"This one?" Yumi asked when cage number nine was vacant.

The two girls shook their heads, no.

"This one then?"

"They shook their heads again a few more times until the door to cage number 12 opened, and nobody walked out of it, instead, a panda bear popped their head out, then invited Yumi to come in. The other two pandas waived goodbye to Yumi.

When the staff member responsible for securing the doors to the ride locked Yumi inside the cage with the panda, she finally spoke, "I was worried sick, Sachan!"

"How do you know it's me?"

"You're in a panda suit!"

"There were other pandas, too."

Removing the panda head from Sachiko, Yumi continued, "You could be wrapped like a stupid mummy, lying down with a thousand other mummies, and I could still find you."

"You're quoting me!"

"Paraphrasing, rather. Your explanation was much more… eloquent."

"…"

"Sachan," Yumi looked around, the cage had been beautifully adorned with red strings and ribbons; she also saw four cameras attached to each corner of the cage, "what is this all about?"

"Two weeks ago…" Sachiko started, "I met with father regarding the agreement we had with Suguru-san."

Looking down the Yumi answered, "I see…"

"Father was the one who asked for the meeting."

"Sachan…"

"He said I had been asking for the postponement because I was scared. And looking back I really was… scared of you growing tired of me, and finding someone else less eccentric, more grounded. But then I saw six months go by, then a year, then two and you never wavered; there hasn't been a moment since that day in my grandmother's house that I have questioned my feelings for you … So instead of postponing it one more time, father finally allowed me to request the complete nullification of the agreement."

"You're kidding."

"No."

"You're kidding!"

"I am not!"

"You're wearing a panda suit and kidding me."

"I am wearing a panda suit, and not kidding you."

###

"So, food after this?" Shimako asked.

"Is that okay with you?"

"Of course!"

"Oka—" Shimako stopped mid-word when Noriko took off her shoe and her white sock was soaked in red.

"Oops…"

"Oops? You know we could have stopped!"

"And mess up SGM, Sargent?" she tried to joke.

"But you're bleeding!"

"Shimako-sama, this is only foot number one..."

"Clean up," Shimako demanded, "I'll be back," she said before taking her purse and walking away.

"Yes, Ma'am…" the brunette said defeated to the empty locker.

When the two girls finally walked out of the showers, Shimako had disinfected and patched up Noriko's blisters, then given her a brand new pair of white socks with penguins in them.

"I haven't worn tube socks since grade school," Noriko complained.

"It was either that or wearing you bloody, disgusting socks."

"And here I was thinking you were such a nice girl…"

"But… I am…"

Shimako handed Noriko her purse, then turned her back to the brunette, "Hop in, we don't want those blisters making a mess on your new socks."

From the Ferris wheel, Shouko spotted Shimako carrying Noriko on her back. But just as Shouko saw the two girls, she also lost them in the crowd.

"If I'm too heavy, you can put me down."

"You weight what, fifty kilos?" Shimako joked.

"Fifty five," Noriko corrected, then fell into silence as she tightened her hold around Shimako's neck and laid her head on the older girl's shoulder.

She felt the heaviness of that long day weigh her down and she closed her eyes for a long second. Shimako had felt it too, leaning forward and readjusting the smaller girl on her back, and she couldn't help but smile when soft cheeks pressed against an exposed neck.

But all too soon, the contact had to end, "Pitcher?"

"And food…"

"What kind?" Shimako asked.

"I'll eat whatever."

"Really?"

"What? Do I come across as picky?"

"Perhaps."

"Well, I'm not."

"Okay, then wait here."

She was nice.

Shimako was a nice girl. She was pretty and sensitive and funny and caring and so goddamn fucking nice, it was hard for Noriko to stop staring, and trying to tease the girl in that awkward child-like flirting she had been attempting, all the while trying not to go any farther down than the hole she had already dug for herself.

Though she was realizing that it was becoming harder and harder to tell where her soul started and Shimako's ended.

 _Look away,_ she asked herself.

But there she was, Todou Shimako, yet again waltzing toward her, pitcher in hand, her ponytail, with the perfectly curled ends cascading down her back and swinging ever so slightly from side to side.

Then that serious face lightened up so brightly when her eyes reached Noriko's, the younger girl didn't even feel her heart miss a beat.

 _Look at her!_

###

Later that evening, inside their shared University dormitory, Shouko sat on Tsutako's bed, a towel wrapped around the girl's neck to catch the moisture from her hair.

"So…what's my punishment?" Tsutako asked.

"Tsutako," Shouko stood in front of the older girl and looked down, "I really thought you had more self-control than that… It doesn't feel right to claim a prize when it was so easy to beat you."

"But… we had perfect lighting today. It would have been a shame not to use that camera."

"…"

"Don't feel bad, Shouko."

"You owe my five bucks..."

"That's it?" Tsutako watched Shouko turn around and walk away.

"Five bucks and you're developing those pictures by yourself."

"That's it?!" Tsutako repeated herself.

"That's it."

"Shouko…"

"…"

"You have the chance to ask me for anything, and 'five bucks' is all you can come up with?"

"Five bucks and developing all 36 pictures on your own. I think that's fair."

Tsutako walked toward the mirror attached to the bathroom door where Shouko tried carefully to untangle her curls, taking a hold of the wide-tooth comb from Shouko's hand. "Let me finish my hair, onee-sama," she turned around reaching for the comb and Tsutako extended her arm out, keeping the girl from retrieving it, "You could have asked for anything, Shouko," she looked at her petite soeur seriously, "Any—"

Shouko claimed her reward.

And Tsutako didn't complain one bit.

* * *

A/N: For you anime watchers who have not read the light novel, Shouko was the pink-haired girl who was rejected by both Yumi and Yoshino during the Soeur Audition episode. What the anime omits was the fact that Shouko showed up at the rose mansion looking for Tsutako, and of course, Tsutako had been looking for Shouko (but the girls had yet to meet), so Yumi makes Shouko leave the tea party to go "fetch" a picture frame for her. Guess who was the owner of the picture frame? *.*

To me, the light novel paints Shouko in a completely different light than the anime did. Turns out Shouko was so much more than just a bratty kid trying to get the roses' attention - she was an incredible little spitfire who ends up becoming Tsutako's petite soeur! If you haven't read it yet, look for volume 20, Soeur Audition.

In volume 30, Twinkle, Twinkle, Twirl, the girls spend an entire day at the amusement park...many, many things happen during that fateful day... This chapter is my idea of what would have happened during a second trip. :)

Once again, I hope you're still enjoying this story! :)

A/N #2: 4/16: Turns out as I am reading volume 33, Shouko and Tsutako were not soeurs in volume 30. Since the information I gave was incorrect, I wanted to clear things up... Nevertheless, Even Eriiko thinks they are indeed soeurs in chapter 33 :D


	20. Love is Beginning

A/N: This is an extremely short chapter, I know. I couldn't make it fit neither the previous nor the next chapter of this story, so here it is in its tiny glory... Think of it as a bridge for what it is to come.

As always, thank you for reading :)

* * *

Red leaf, yellow leaf, orange leaf, green leaf.

Funny thing it was to think there were streets which were considered more beautiful than that stretch linking the bus stop and the Physical Science building Noriko learned to appreciate so much.

It was early and she sat on the stairs in front of that old building for a long while wondering how much longer could those leaves hold on to the branches of the trees. The falling was inevitable; however, nobody knew how long they'd wait before letting go.

The brunette stood, took a deep breath, wondered what Shimako was doing at that exact moment, then stepped into the brick building, not knowing that across campus, in front of the Social Science building, Shimako had performed a very similar routine.

###

The sun was shining bright that mid-morning when Yumi shared a bench with Shimako outside the cafeteria, "Everything will transfer?" Yumi asked.

"Even the seminar courses."

"We get to walk together, then!"

"If they have one huge ceremony, yes."

"You're right…"

"But," Shimako tried to cheer Yumi up, "We still have so much time before graduation!"

"It's good to have you back, you know…"

Shimako looked at Yumi then placed her forearms atop of her thighs and leaned forward, "It's good to be back," she exhaled.

"Shimako-san…"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for going through all of that trouble at the Amusement Park…"

"I… don't know what you're talking about…" Shimako was a terrible liar.

"Yeah, right. Riko-chan was a champ, wasn't she?"

"She was most wonderful…"

"And you got along okay?"

"I've nothing to complain about her."

"Not even the fact that she had ripped you a new one?"

"Yumi-san!"

"Don't be a prude, Shimako. How's that new asshole of yours?"

"Stop it!"

Yumi simply sat there snickering.

"You know…" Shimako started, "She reminded me so much of you, it was terrifying! She's a tiny Fukuzawa Yumi," she finished with a grin.

"That's impossible," Yumi faked outrage.

"Did she tell you what happened?"

Yumi chuckled then responded, "She sure did. You know you dug your own grave…"

"She didn't give me time to explain!"

"If I knew how much that juzu cost, I'd tell you to piss off, too."

"Yumi!"

"Quit being a prude…"

"Fuck you," Shimako blushed immediately.

"Whoa! That's the spirit!"

"You're insufferable!"

"You're a prude, Mother Teresa."

Then it was Shimako's turn to chuckle before looking at Yumi and asking, "She's a good kid, huh?"

"Incredibly kind and terribly candid," Yumi smiled, looking square into Shimako's eyes, "Just like someone I know and love so much."

"Riiiiight…"

"I'm dead serious!"

"Anything else I should know about her?"

"About Riko-chan? Did you not spend the whole day with her?"

"I did."

"And you learned nothing about her? You disappoint me."

"We were on a mission: SGM," Shimako giggled.

"SGM?"

"Sachiko's Grand Maneuver."

Yumi's laugh was hearty and loud, "Right... Did this mission require you to carry the kid on your back, too?"

"How did you—"

"Shouko-chan…"

"Oh my…" Shimako's cheeks reddened again, then Yumi's eyes grew wide and a smirk slowly blossomed into a full grin, "You!" she laughed.

"What?!"

"You like her!"

"You're delusional, Yumi."

"You like like her, a lot lot."

"Yumi!"

"Todou Shimako, Rosa Gigantea, following the footsteps of her Grand Soeur! What an incredible turn of events: from Mother Teresa to lesbian heathen."

"Stop it!"

Yumi kept on laughing, "You _like_ her!"

Shimako looked at Yumi, her lips clutched together in a straight line, "Perhaps… I might find her… interesting."

"And?"

"And that's it."

"Okay then…"

"Just okay?"

"What else do you want from me?" Yumi asked.

"Confidentiality."

"Confiden— what am I now, a shrink? Plus, I'm not moving one finger. You're on your own."

"You're not meddling?"

"And let you miss out on the angst and sorrow and anxiety you'll experience along the way? Nah!"

"What an incredible friend you are…"

Yumi looked far into the path, a swarm of students walked toward the cafeteria, and she leaned back on the bench, "I hope you're ready to squirm."

"Squirm?"

"Look who's walking this way."

Noriko tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling while speaking with a classmate.

The path was packed with students but for Shimako, walking toward her, there was only Noriko.

"Riko-chan!" Yumi called out.

"Yumi-sama, Shimako-sama."

"Private Nijou-chan."

"Inside jokes, huh?" Yumi teased Shimako. "How's my favorite panda bear today?"

"This banda bear," Noriko said with a stuffy nose, "is a crabby banda."

"Crabby or crappy?"

"Both," she forced a smile, "I godda go do lab," she finished, pointing to the building in front of her.

"Come have coffee with us when you're done?"

"Hai!" Noriko said.

"But you can only come if you blow you nose first, " Yumi joked.

###

Lab was long, interesting but way too long, so as soon as Noriko was done with her rounds, she grabbed her bag and ran out the doors, skipping steps on he way down toward the path which led off campus when she heard her name called out in the wondrous voice of Todou Shimako.

"But—"

"We've moved to the cafeteria."

"Yumi-san could have just texted…"

"She sent me to get you."

"I see…" and they started to walk back toward the dining hall.

"She also told me to give you this," Shimako said, handing Noriko an inhaler. "She said she wasn't sure if you had yours."

"I have mine…" Noriko reached into her backpack, grabbing the medicine and showing it to Shimako; both inhalers identical.

"Are you feelings okay?"

"Oh, of course! No need to worry about me!"

"How're your feet?"

"Lost a couple of toes, but other than that, they're good."

"Don't be like Yumi-san."

"How do you mean?"

"Joking about serious issues."

"I'm a serious person, Shimako-sama, I never joke," Noriko smiled and wondered when had it become so easy to speak with that girl.

"You're so very serious!"

The more Noriko looked at Shimako, the less she saw Maria-sama. It had been a poor assumption to have equated the two as the same. Noriko was elated that Shimako had turned out to be human, and it was so breathtaking to look at that girl who was actually broken and imperfect and indecisive and scared, yet loved by those girls who were also broken and imperfect.

It was the cycle of love.

And it was indeed breathtaking.

"So… Why did you guys decide against coffee?"

"Yumi said she was hungry."

"Oh, I see."

Then they walked quietly, Noriko glancing at the taller girl to her side every so often to make sure she wasn't going to simply disappear like she did when she floated down the hill in Furano. Every time her eyes focused on Shimako, Noriko discovered a new line, a different light freckle which she was sure would come back to life once summer returned, and she longed for warmth and the flourishing of those wonderful marks.

At one point after Noriko commented on the cafeteria food, Shimako's eyes closed, her nose wrinkling for a split second right before a giggle escaped those thin lips. It was melodious; a symphony comprised of highs and lows, starting in her belly and coating her throat entirely. And it was contagious; Noriko couldn't help but laugh as well.

Yumi was nowhere to be found when Shimako and Noriko walked in the cafeteria and the brunette couldn't help but tease, "You made me walk all the way here with blisters on my feet and missing toes, Sargent Major."

"I could have given you another piggy back ride," Shimako said earnestly.

"Could've offered earlier…"

Shimako was taking a seat when she said, "Did you know Shouko-chan saw us?"

"Oh—"

"You're blushing!"

"Am not!"

"Your face looks like a tomato, Noriko!"

"…"

"-chan,"

"For a second I thought you were just going for it…"

"I was—"

Trying it out? If you're going to drop the honorific then I'd rather you call me Riko."

"But that's terribly informal…"

"And why should we maintain such formalities, Shimako?"

Shimako waited in silence for a long while, crossing her arms atop of her chest and staring at Noriko, who spoke not a word until the older girl couldn't hold it any longer, "You're blushing again!" that belly laugh, wholly and honest and loud and contagious was everything Noriko wanted to hear.


	21. What Time do You Call This?

A/N: Hello!

Much longer than last chapter, this one wrote itself in one day - it just took me forever to edit it :)

Thank you for reading!

* * *

"That's ridiculous!" Yoshino screamed, pulling the hood from her head. Since she wasn't wearing her hair in braids that night, running her fingers through it was all it took to tame the flyaways, "I did not break the circle, the cards are still touching!"

"We need Sachiko…" Rei finally exhaled, "Yumi-san, go get her for us?"

Pushing the door to the porch open and walking down to where the metal fire pit was, Yumi interrupted the quiet conversation of Ogasawara Sachiko, Todou Shimako, Matsudaira Touko and Mizuno Youko.

"They need you out there."

"Me?"

"Yoshino broke the circle..."

"Then why do they need me?"

"Sachan…"

"I'll go," Touko said.

"But Rei-san said Sachan…"

"I'll go take a look at it," Shimako stood, "I need a refill anyway."

"But Rei-san…"

With that, it was time for Youko to meddle, "Tell Rei-chan Shimako-chan is the least drunk and the most honest out of all of us all."

And into the house Yumi went, followed closely by Shimako, who stopped by the kitchen for a well-deserved refill before walking into the living room, "Let me see it."

"We asked for Sachiko-sama, why'd you bring the nun?" Yoshino joked.

"It was the best I could do, Yoshino…" Yumi responded.

"She's drunk!" Yoshino shouted.

Right when Shimako brought the glass to her mouth, a drop of the red wine stubbornly dripped from her lips; she wiped it with her fingers.

"Look at her!"

"Yoshino, this is only my second glass," Shimako said, then took a knee by Noriko, "Let me see it..." The campfire smell invading Noriko's nostrils first; cherry and oak smoke, then came the sweet hint of the red wine – Shimako had most definitely lied about how many glasses she had had that afternoon.

"…"

When Shimako leaned in to whisper into Noriko's ear, the brunette inhaled deeply that mixture of scents, "There's at least a centimeter between those cards…" and Noriko, still not as drunk as she wanted to be, turned to face the older girl, assuming she had move, though Shimako, too distracted with her own admiration of Nijou Noriko, never budged.

"Whoahohoho, Shimakooooo—"

"…"

"sa~~~n~~~maaaa! The rule!" Noriko squealed as she felt the warm blood flush her cheeks, "The rule!"

"What rule?!"

"The whispering rule, Shimako-sama," Nana came to the rescue, a blush of her own painting her cheeks, "You… turn your head after whispering… you broke the rule and about broke Noriko, too… Where is she going now?"

"I need a beer!" Noriko answered, disappearing into the kitchen, while still mumbling, "The rule! Oh my God, the rule!"

"In any case," Shimako said, "It's clear that Yoshino broke the circle." Like magic, that living room went from silent to deafening screams.

So Shimako stood as the girls still squealed and Yoshino chugged the King's beer, walking to the cooler she took two bottles of red wine with her before going back outside, _Gonna be a long night_ , she thought.

"Where's Onee-sama?" Shimako asked, placing the bottles by a corner table, and when Youko teased with a, "Which one?" The white rose proceeded to add, with a twinkle in her eyes, "The worst of them all."

"She's by the water with Riko-chan," Sachiko answered, then watched Shimako reach for the corkscrew, opening the bottle and stretching her arm forward to top off Youko's glass before refilling hers.

Then Shimako sat down, drawing a deep breath, "Are they smoking pot or something?" she joked.

And immediately Touko choked on her drink.

"You're kidding!"

"Your onee-sama is something else, isn't she?" Youko laughed.

###

"No way!"

Yoshino yet again could be heard from inside the house.

Then Yumi came out again, laughing so hard she stumbled down the steps connecting the porch and the large concrete pathway, "Sachan…"

"I know…" Sachiko answered, and watched Sei carry Noriko on one shoulder into the house, the brunette giggling loud – only Maria-sama knew what kinds of trouble those two would have gotten in if Noriko had really been a Rose.

By the fire Yumi took Sachiko's seat, knocking on the top of a beer can with her fingertip before cracking it open, and making Shimako wonder for the nth time why people did that…

"Have you recovered?" Yumi asked and as Shimako looked at her puzzled, she proceeded, "From breaking the whisper rule," the brunette chuckled.

"Shimako-chan broke the whisper rule?" Youko asked.

"Is that really a thing?"

"It really is, Shimako-sama," Touko answered seriously.

"Should I even ask?"

"Yours dearly, Rosa Canina is responsible for it."

"Shizuka-sama?"

Yumi smiled and leaned back on her chair, " It was a starry, midsummer night, the humidity so thick one could all but touch it…"

"Onee-sama, please!" Touko interjected.

"I'm serious, though, it was hot that day!"

"…"

"Okay, okay! We were all by the pool this one night when Shizuka-sama was visiting," Yumi chuckled before continuing, "so, she leans in, I think to ask Nana-chan to go get her another drink or something, and just stays there like a baka… Nana-chan turns to answer and ends up hitting Shizuka-sama dead in the nose with her forehead, gives our one and only Rosa Canina a bloody nose, which makes Sachan faint, which creates the whisper rule."

"No way."

"I couldn't make this stuff up!"

Nana had really hit Shizuka hard in the face, the Kendo black belt was short but solid, built like a tiny warrior – ah, how Yoshino loved that little spitfire! – But the blow which drew a waterfall of blood from Rosa Canina's nose streamed more from panic than from the fact that Nana was unaware that Shizuka's face was so closed to hers.

You see, to properly explain said panic, one must return to the very moment the anxiety was engendered:

"Arima Nana desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu," Nana had bowed as deep as she could inside a restaurant which was completely packed; she was running late because of the cake her Kendo friends had brought her for her birthday –Nana was finally seventeen. A hundred years ago she'd be considered a woman and would probably already have at least three children, but since it was modern times, Nana was still a kid; tiny chest and all (but quite a substantial behind – Thank Maria-sama for squats!)

So when she was introduced to the goddess which was Kanina Shizuka, she did think _Holy fucking shit, the woman is gorgeous_ , but then, placed that Maria-sama along with the other out-of-reach goddesses and went on with her life.

Nana then went on to sit by Rei, who ruffled the girl's hair while pushing a shot glass toward her, "Happy birthday," she said softly, so only Nana could hear, though the blonde wasn't counting on Rosa Canina watching the entire thing up until Nana downed the drink like a champ, "What was that all about?"

"Can't I spoil my grandkid once in a while?"

Then dinner went on as expected, with an awkward comment from Sei here and a "Satou-san!" from Sachiko there, until they all ended up in Sei's apartment and at some point, Nana had found herself in the kitchen, pouring Shizuka a glass of wine.

"And you're staying at Lillian for college?"

"Tokyo U," Nana answered, leaning on the kitchen island and looking at the girls gathered around the coffee table in the living room, "Yoshino-sama followed Rei-sama there, so I figured I'd do the same."

"You seem excited."

"It's more like I'm ready to go already. The two years between Yoshino-sama and me became an abyss when she graduated."

"You sound like Shimako..."

Nana looked at Shizuka, chocolate orbs, round and large, with tiny specks of green around the outermost portion of the irises, silencing Nana for far too long, "S-Shimako-sama?"

"She's two years younger than Sei, too."

"That's right…"

"You should reach out to her, Shimako, I mean. There's no reason to be carrying that burden alone," Shizuka finished, handing Nana her glass of wine, "Here, I'll share mine with you tonight."

Nana hesitated, looking into the cup for a long while.

"Scared of backwash?"

She was really more worried about the indirect kiss, but of course she said not a word, and hurriedly took a drink.

It was a dry wine, and it wasn't sweet at all; but it was bold and flavorful with undertones of berries and oak.

It was Shizuka Kanina in drink form.

Taking the glass back from Nana, she pointed toward the living room, "Look at her, Nana," Shizuka chuckled, "She's gotten worse."

"Sei-sama is a terrible liar…"

"She thinks she can save the world, but can't even fend for herself."

"She took Shimako-sama's leaving pretty hard..."

"I can tell."

"But Shimako-sama was lost in the same labyrinth," Nana said, reaching for the wine glass in Shizuka's hand, their fingers touching in the process, then bringing the glass to her lips while still watching Sei roughhouse with Yoshino.

Shizuka watched the entire thing with a smirk on her lips. Where had Yoshino found that kid who was so sensitive and endearingly adorable? And who _was_ that kid with the tiny twin-braids, wanting so badly to duplicate the feisty and terribly mannered Shimazu Yoshino?

 _Arima Nana_ , The name floated in Shizuka's mind.

 _If Nana were a song, she'd be an acoustic ballad._

 _She'd be a quiet piano melody._

 _She'd be Nils Frahm's 4:33._

"How old are you, Nana-chan?" Shizuka asked.

"Seventeen."

"And how long till you turn eighteen?" _Really Shizuka?_

Nana looked at the older girl seriously at first, then her face softened and she answered through a grin, "Exactly a year!"

"You're kidding!"

"Nuh uh."

"Happy birthday, Arima Nana," Shizuka said after her lips touched the younger girl's cheek, lingering there half a second too long – and how could she not have done that when Nana's perfume conquered Shizuka's nostrils as soon as her mouth landed on the softest of faces?

And so, during that fateful summer night, when Shizuka leaned in to tell Nana happy birthday for the second time, the girl's hard forehead met the soft cartilage of Shizuka's nose in a weird attempt to avoid another kiss, because if that were really to happen, if Shizuka's lips landed on Nana's cheek one more time, Nana wouldn't have been able to find the ground ever again.

###

How many drinks had she had? Shimako wondered; three, four bottles? Who knows and who was really counting?

The big problem she was facing was that it was cold downstairs. And it was so quiet, too, that it was hard to believe just an hour or so prior to that silence, Nana had licked the back of an Ace and stuck it to her forehead as she laughed loud at Yoshino's poor fate.

But it was cold then, and that thin blanket she had wrapped herself in, wasn't enough to keep her warm. Maybe if she hadn't washed her hair before lying down; but then she'd be complaining about the smell of smoke…

It was a hard task; to win when one didn't know what path would lead to victory.

Maybe Shimako needed socks – her toes were freezing.

Maybe she needed an extra blanket or another glass of wine, the one which would tip her over toward that stage of drunkenness that allowed people to sleep anywhere.

She wasn't going to do that, though.

So Shimako stood, still wrapped burrito-style in the soft –but way too thin – blanket Sei had handed to her along with a pillow before going back up to find Youko already sleeping on top of the covers.

She grabbed the cup of water she had poured herself before lying on the couch and started the trek up the stairs.

On the second floor she could still hear some of the girls talking. Yoshino's voice was loud even when she tried to whisper and Nana laughed at everything her onee-sama said, making it all the more easy to know without a drop of doubt who was speaking and who was laughing.

She walked pass the bathroom, turning off the light someone had left on, then stood in front of the room Youko was sharing with Sei, but instead of knocking, she turned her back to it, then opened the door to the study.

With the help from the light coming in from the hallway, Shimako devised a quick plan: she'd place the water on the desk, add her blanket atop of the one that was already on the blow-up bed, then she'd slowly get in.

And that was what she did.

"Sei-sama, again!" Noriko whispered, "I'm telling you, if you jump on me I—!"

"Noriko-chan," the voice interrupted, a hand on Noriko's arm stiffening the girl and rendering her yet again voiceless.

Maybe Noriko was imagining things. Maybe she had taken one too many hits from the joint she shared with Sei earlier that night – though Noriko was always very conscious of how much was too much and would simply bring the wheezing and the coughing and whatever else came with having a _bad episode_.

In any case, Noriko exhaled a long breath, one people do when they were having a bad dream but are able to wake up right before they get shot, or eaten by a dinosaurs, or fall into an never-ending crater, or kiss the girl they like...

 _It had to be under the bright sky in a night cold enough that you need a jacket, but not so cold that you can't feel your lips. You know, those late fall nights; you take her out to dinner and pull the chair for her, but you don't open the car door because you think it's too weird and you want her to know you care, but you also want to make her feel empowe—_

"Can I just lie here with you? I'm going to lie here. I'm cold."

Try as she might, Noriko couldn't find her voice in the midst of the torrent of excuses coming from Shimako's side of the bed, "It's so cold downstairs…"

Noriko felt Shimako shuffle a great deal until the older girl's back pressed against the brunette's. Curled up in a little ball, Shimako whispered, "I promise I won't move too much."

Noriko couldn't deny how incredibly warm that bed felt the second Shimako stepped in.

"Or… maybe I should just go back d—"

"Hush!" Noriko interrupted, then turned to face Shimako's back, wrapping an arm around the older girl's waist. And though, in that awkward squirming, Rosa Gigantea's shirt rode up and Noriko felt the burning of her cold palm against Shimako's ribs, she continued, "You're so loud," she tightened the grip around Rosa Gigantea, closing the distance between them, her nose up against Shimako's nape, "I'm trying to sleep here."

"Noriko…" Shimako whispered, "Your hand is cold."

"I was cold before you got here."

###

When Noriko woke up, Shimako was gone, leaving the brunette with scattered pieces of the puzzle which that previous night had been. And it was hard to draw a line on what was real and what was a dream when Noriko only had the faintest of the memories.

Yet, as much as Noriko thought the encounter not to be real, the thin blanket lying atop of her comforter, the barely touched cup of water which lay neatly atop of a coaster placed by the desk – the complete opposite of the glass Noriko remembered carrying up the stairs with her, and was then empty on the floor by the bed – and most of all: the empty pillow by Noriko, still damp from Shimako's wet hair, carrying the bold scent of coconut with the slightest hint of smoke from the campfire; all, a clear reminder of the cold toes, stripped from socks and the trembling fingers, and the incessant –but oh so adorable– excuses and apologies from a girl Noriko couldn't stop thinking about.

Both glasses in hand Noriko walked into the kitchen to find Nana by the stove flipping a pancake; and leaning against the counter was Shimako, holding on to a mug, steam rising from it. Shimako blew in the cup, then took a sip of the coffee, the simple action leaving Noriko off-balance as the butterflies threatened to escape the brunette's chest.

"How many, Noriko-san?" Nana asked pointing at the pan.

"Two is fine, Noriko answered then watched Shimako turn around, pour coffee into a mug and hand it to the brunette, their fingers touching during the exchange, and just like that, she was back in the bedroom, her cold hands on Shimako's bare skin.

Noriko thanked Shimako for the drink, then wondered how long they would go without speaking about the previous night, without joking about how Shimako had apologized a million times before she settled within Noriko's arms, and about how Noriko held on to the older girl tightly for as long as she could, _Because she was warm_ , she thought at first, _Because I couldn't keep my hands from her_ , she finally admitted.

Then Nana asked "That blow up mattress is not bad, huh?" and at the unison answer from the other two girls, Nana was confused, "Weren't you on the couch, Shimako-sama?"

"For a little while… then it got really cold and I went upstairs."

"With Noriko-san?"

"Yes," Shimako answered without hesitating, and Noriko watched Nana look at the older girl then at Noriko before she smirked, "I see," she said through the grin.

"B-but it's not what you think, you know!"

"I wasn't thinking anything…" Nana kept on smiling, "… even thought you're looking guilty by the minute, Noriko-san."

"Nothing happened last night."

"Whoa!" Yumi said, walking in and heading straight to the coffee pot, "Something happened last night?" she looked at Shimako with a mischievous grin.

"Nothing happened last ni—"

"Shimako-sama slept with Noriko-san," Nana cut Noriko off and the girl, who was already blushing then, turned into a beet.

"We most definitely did nothing like that!"

"But, Shimako-sama said she went upstairs… with you."

"Is that true, Riko-chan?" Yumi asked.

"…"

"Riko-chan?"

"Why am I being interrogated?! Shimako-sama, please!" Noriko begged, though Shimako remained quiet, "Really? You're not gonna help?!" the brunette said and walked out of the kitchen, "I can't believe this!"

Running into the study Noriko ripped the blanket from the bed she had slept in, then wrapped herself in it and walked into the hallway.

When she finally decided where she was going to go, Noriko pushed the door open slightly and poked her head in, "Can I come in?" she whispered, holding her ground until she received the okay to proceed. Then Noriko plopped down on the bed, bringing her knees to her chest. Blanket over her head, the brunette looked through the little crevice she had for her eyes, then whispered a shy "Hi."

"Hello," was the sleepy answer the brunette received.

"I—"

"You're safe in here."

"Thank you, Sachan."

###

It was a nice night; cold but with clear skies and with little to no trouble, after lining up the big dipper and the little dipper, it was easy to spot the Northern Star –at least Shimako was able to…

Though the property was well illuminated, the girl hesitated for a brief second before stepping on the wooden dock.

"Ah! Shimako! Over here!" Sei invited.

"Onee-sama, you're…"

"Want some?" Sei asked.

"I don't smoke."

"Shimako…" Sei started, "It's not bad for you, you know…"

"I never said it was…" Shimako said, but in her voice, both Sei and Noriko understood the disappointment.

"We're getting ready to walk back," Sei tried, "Noriko-chan needs another beer… I need another beer, you might need a beer –wine– too," she fumbled trying to make things a bit lighter, but it was inevitable, the heaviness of the moment when you know you shouldn't be there, but you are and you can't escape and you start saying all kinds of stupid shit trying to maintain oxygen in your lungs – that was Satou Sei, and Satou Sei, as articulate and smart she might have been, also melted into a puddle of awkward when she felt trapped.

Knowing the girl too well, Shimako tried to help, "Onee-sama…" She walked close to Sei, taking the older girl's hand into hers, "I'm not mad."

"…"

Noriko thought the moment to be endearing, Sei was surrounded by all of those girls who thought extremely highly of the blonde and wanted nothing but her happiness.

"And you."

That; however, Noriko wasn't expecting.

"Are avoiding me…"

"I'm…"

"You… are half Fukuzawa, half Satou. You dish out but you can't take a little joke!"

"…"

"Nana-chan was just teasing!"

"I know she was! But then I'm sure she'd go right back to the whisper rule thing and that was more than teasing!" Noriko said, then watched Shimako approach her, her face so close to the brunette's that their noses touched, "What if I want my face to be this close to your face when you're talking?"

"S-Shimako-sama…" Noriko's voice was coy; she could feel the flush reach the tip of her ears as Shimako's breath acted like a personal space heater.

"Shimako…" Sei came to the rescue, "I'd feel weird, too."

"Is that so?" And with that, Shimako leaned in, strong and purposefully, pressing her lips flat against Noriko's then withdrawing them with a loud pop.

"Holy shit, Shimako!" was all Sei was able to muster.

###

"Hey, hey, hey!" Shimako chased Noriko down in the dim lit path, "Please, Riko, why are you running?"

"You're not seriously asking, right?" Noriko kept on with the speed-walk, her eyes still glued to the house ahead of her.

"I didn't mean to upset you…"

"Then what was that all about just now?"

"I thought I'd make you laugh! You were upset about last night then you got mad this morning… and avoided me all day!"

"And that gives you the right to do whatever you want?!"

Shimako apologized, a quiet "sorry" engulfed in the silence that followed it, then after the long pause, she continued, "It was never my intention to make you mad."

"Of course it wasn't…" Noriko said, finally turning around to face the older girl, and it was then, under the faint lights illuminating the lake, that Noriko noticed for the first time that when Shimako worried, her brows crumpled and she bit the left side of her bottom lip.

"You know what the problem is?" Noriko asked. Receiving silence as an answer, she proceeded, "You always tell the truth…"

"And that's a bad thing?" The question lingered in the dark for a long while, and Noriko could see Shimako's breath in the cold night coming in short intervals. Then it was her own turn to exhale, a large cloud making it hard for Noriko to see the older girl until it had dissipated completely.

She crossed her arms trying to keep herself warm, "It's terrifying!" Noriko said through clenched teeth, "Everybody's out there trying to protect themselves with half truths, hiding behind these walls they build, yet, you swim against the current –you want to tell the truth – you want to strip down to your core so people can see all of you. So _I_ can see all of you! And I am terrified, Shimako!"

"…"

"Terrified to look at you. Terrified I'll only see kindness."

Understanding what Noriko was trying to say, Shimako looked at the brunette, who had tears in her eyes when she shoved her hands deep into the pockets of her jeans and breathed out a mixture of cry and awkward laugh.

Shimako thought it was a gorgeous scene: somebody strong enough to admit a weakness, to spill forth their fears, to proclaim adoration in the most subtle of ways.

And Noriko stood there, looking at Shimako; waiting for the girl to say anything, to confirm that fear she had, so she could then apologize and ask for the second best: friendship fixed everything, right?

"That's a lot to ask, you know…"

"…"

Shimako smiled, "I had wondered how long it would take…" she said, stepping closer to the brunette, hands rubbing Noriko's arms as if that would keep the girl warm, "How long I'd have to stand in front of you before you had the courage to look…"

It was then, in that silence that Noriko leaned in. With languorous slowness she breathed in Shimako's breath before her lips finally found the softness of Rosa Gigantea's. Eyes closed, she felt Shimako's lips part slightly and with utmost care, Rosa Gigantea pressed her mouth against Noriko's bottom lip, then there was teeth and tongue. "Shimako," Noriko sighed inside the girl's mouth, and while two hands cupped Noriko's cheeks, Shimako deepened the kiss in a detailed survey of Noriko's mouth.

To say love was beginning would have been an incredible understatement. It had started long ago, it had handed Shimako the choice to remain silent or to step into the maelstrom, and she chose the latter, she chose to hold on to her friends with one hand and to Noriko with the other, to open up her heart and allow the girl with the traditional Japanese doll face, and the dark hair, and the straight bangs, and the wonderful smile and the incalculable heart to see her soul.

Noriko said she was terrified of looking at Shimako's heart, could anyone imagine how frightening it was to be the one allowing another human the ability to see underneath all of the layers of one's soul?

Shimako wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

A/N: I call myself a traditionalist when it comes down to pairing; nonetheless, ever since I wrote Whatever it was, I have indulged in making Shizuka and Nana a couple. To me, they make a pretty great pair!

If you have a second, let me know what you thought about this chapter.

Cheers!


	22. Cross that Line

A/N: Hello!

I had to take a break from writing for a bit and I apologize. *bows as deeply as one can*

We go back in time one last time here. I hope you guys enjoy.

As always, if you are reading this, thank you very much.

Cheers!

* * *

Yumi had found herself sitting across from Sayako yet again, and much like the first time she was introduced to the older woman, she didn't find that situation amusing; on the contrary, the only reason why her rear was still stuck to the couch was because of a certain tall girl with raven tresses and an awful ability to make Yumi's knees buckle.

The brunette was there, and so were Suguru and Yuuki, all waiting on their friends to arrive: Rei and Yoshino were coming from a Kendo meet. Sei was responsible for picking up Shimako at some point, but truthfully, only Maria-sama knew when those two would be showing up. Then there was Youko, who had called not long after Yumi and Yuuki had arrived to say she wouldn't be able to make it to the meeting because of a project she had to do for one of her law classes – Yumi didn't buy the lame excuse, but decided to say nothing. It wasn't her responsibility to meddle in Youko's life, even though she wanted nothing but to lock Sei and Youko in a room until the two girls resolved their differences.

Talking about meddling, for a brief moment Yumi wondered where Touko was and if the short girl with the twin pigtails and the swirly hair would show up at some point to make things even more awkward than they already were after she had appeared in front of Yumi's door not even a month prior to that night. Out of all of the people the kid could have contacted, Yumi couldn't put her finger on what had led Touko to seek refuge at the Fukuzawas. It was weird to think about it, to try and understand the reasons behind someone –who looked like they had everything– running away like that. Nevertheless, it was also hard for Yumi to judge as she, herself, had made some incredibly difficult decisions at times.

In any case, Yumi remained seated, even when she watched Sachiko walk by, wearing a dark blue yukata, her hair gathered in a high ponytail which bounced lightly when she moved. And it took everything in her not to grab Suguru by the arm and push him back down when the boy stood and followed Sachiko into the room she had just entered.

 _They're betrothed,_ Yumi reasoned. _They're going to get married when she graduates,_ she continued with the musing. It was as if Yumi was trying to justify why she wasn't allowing herself the luxury of loving Sachiko, not because the simple thought of loving somebody was frightening – as loving was a difficult task; the most difficult task, that is, the one task which Yumi thought would require maturity, understanding, a mutual agreement that love was labor and that labor was taxing – but because in the end, love required two hearts.

So the brunette sat there by Yuuki and drank her tea slowly, the warm liquid coating her throat and bringing comfort to her weary mind.

She'd glance at Sayako every so often when she spoke with the woman, and during those moments, when her eyes met the deep blue orbs across from her, Yumi couldn't feel more accepted and cherished.

That night, when all the girls as well as Yuuki and Suguru – who wasn't even part Hanadera any longer – gathered around the dinner table at the Ogasawara's, they discussed, for the last time, the arrangements for the Hanadera Wars.

###

When the girls stepped onto the Hanadera campus after the long trek around the mountain which connected the entrance gates and the actual campus – accompanied by Yuuki, Alice and Takada – they thought they had entered a different dimension, full of barely legible signs and boys in ninja costumes who started to cheer loudly as soon as they spotted the Lillian uniforms.

Yuuki, being the student council's president at the time, had warned the entire student body that if anyone taunted or disrespected any of the Lillian girls, the consequences were such that their entire club would be completely dismantled. And Yuuki, sensing Sachiko's nervousness, tried to explain to the heiress that no boy would dare get close to them.

Ironically, as soon as Yuuki had reassured Sachiko of his agreement with the other boys, someone in a panda suit fell into step with Yumi, handing the girl a lollipop then courageously patting the girl on the head, and making Yuuki struggle while trying to explain that, "maybe they thought Yumi-nee-chan was a little kid."

Yuuki was honestly trying to calm Sachiko's nerves, which had been a hard task to accomplish ever since he had greeted the girls in front of Lillian's gates. Yumi had also noticed early in the day the fidgety and laconic ways Sachiko was carrying herself, but decided not to say anything as doing so would just stir Sachiko's already shaken spirit.

"Whatever the reason was, I have sweets and you don't," Yumi joked in an attempt to appease Sachiko's nerves.

 _Mystery Novel Appreciation Society,_ read the sticker attached to her lollipop.

It made Yumi chuckle for some weird reason.

The building which housed Hanadera's student council was massive, accommodating the majority of the school's clubs– the Kendo club being the only organization that met outside the vicinity. Needless to say, there was not a corner of that building which ha not been weirdly decorated, even though all of the booths had been set-up by the courtyard.

The decorations were odd and dark, like the boys were celebrating Halloween instead of a festival, and as soon as they stepped in and took the stairs, Yumi reached for Sachiko's hand, prompting the heiress to gasp and pull away with such speed everybody else simply thought one of the fake spider webs had touched the girl.

"What was that all about?" Yumi whispered, her warm breath tickling Sachiko's ear.

"It's… nothing."

"Are you scared of the boys?"

"I am most certainly not scared of them!"

After Sachiko's annoyed answer, Yumi simply fell into silence not really understanding why the heiress had been so nervous. With the innumerous meetings they had with the Hanadera boys, the brunette had been certain Sachiko wouldn't have any issues during the festival. Nevertheless, when Yumi reached the top of the stairs still wondering what had triggered Sachiko's uneasiness, she felt a tug on her wrist, then a hand slid down slowly and an index finger wrapped around Yumi's. The brunette's back stiffened for a split second before she looked down at her hand, then up, to find the most incredible blue eyes staring at her and though they were full of worry, they were still brighter than anything Yumi had ever seen.

The two girls, walking quite a ways behind their group, watched as Sei – who was there to help Shimako – wrapped her arm around Rosa Gigantea's neck and brought the girl close to her; the endearing action drawing a sigh from Yumi who had been worried about Shimako for a long while.

"The more you worry the less you enjoy your time with her, Yumi," Sachiko started.

"Shimako-san is lonely without Sei-sama."

"You know very well Sei is not the sole reason for that sadness."

"But…" Yumi looked up again, her eyes lost in two pools of dark blue, "Being alone makes things even more difficult."

"You contradict yourself."

"My reasons were… are, completely different."

"But the loneliness is the same…" Sachiko finished and walked silently, her finger still tightly wrapped around Yumi's.

As they turned a corner and spotted the stairs which would take them to the third floor, a familiar melody reached Sachiko's ear and without thinking twice, she went from holding on to a single finger to fully seizing Yumi's hand, pulling the girl toward the music, "Do you hear it?!" Sachiko asked, a smiled tugging at her lips, and her chest exploding with butterflies – If only Yumi could see their wings, the amalgamation of colors which comprised all of the things Sachiko couldn't explain but only feel.

Sachiko cracked the door open and looked in; a skinny boy dressed in a black tuxedo, touched the ivory keys of a grand piano with utmost care. His dark hair, covering his face, made it difficult to tell if walking in was acceptable. Nonetheless, Sachiko stepped in. Reaching the center of the room, the heiress brought Yumi's chest close to hers, wrapping her arms around the brunette, and simply swaying with Yumi; slowly and steadily from side to side.

"I love this song…" Yumi whispered, watching the white walls of that large room slowly move as the girls turned in circles. And there was a long pause before Sachiko leaned in to whisper, " I don't understand why it's called Two Rivers…" her cheeks pressed against Yumi's.

Warmth was all Yumi felt, a heat which burned indelible marks on her soul, allowing the brunette to wondered, for the first time, if all along that crescendo simply denoted a confluence; the meeting of two bodies which were bound to run parallel routes, but somehow ended up coming together.

Yumi remained quiet until the song ended, holding on tightly to Sachiko, completely oblivious to the fact that had she let go, had her arms unwrapped and left Sachiko's frame, the heiress would have melted into a pool of nothingness.

After thanking the boy for allowing them in, Sachiko turned to Yumi, "Wait," she said, running her hands across the girl's shoulders as if straightening her sailor collar, then loosening and retightening Yumi's tie, "there," she finished with a smile.

###

Inside the student council's office, Sachiko and Yumi found Sei and Yoshino wearing Hanadera's attire and while Satou Sei looked like she belonged in the slacks; the mandarin collar making the lengthy woman all the more handsome, Yoshino had the long sleeves folded over a time or two and even then all one could see was the tip of her fingers poking through the shirt, her pants had been folded inwards and safety-pinned into place, the feisty brunette looked dejected sitting in a corner of the room.

And Yoshino would have looked disheartened all the way through the festival if it weren't for Fukuzawa Yumi and her startling resemblance with the other Fukuzawa in the room.

"That's kinda scary," Alice said a bit hesitant.

"Why did you take your pigtails down?!" Yuuki asked, his cheeks flushed.

"The purple ribbons didn't match the stupid yellow buttons, Yuuki!" she rebuked, the brunette's voice a bit higher than the usual.

Yuuki simply walked out of the office, his head down, the red on his cheeks still visible. And if he wasn't already embarrassed because of the situation inside the student council's office, on his way out he tripped on a box that was placed in front of the door.

Then he fell.

And the entire room exploded into laughter.

Even then, while everybody inside the room laughed, Yuuki mumbled something under his breath, then pulling a pen from his pocket, he wrote on the box before looking inside the room again, "I'll meet you ladies downstairs. Please, don't be late."

Once the girls were ready, they met Yuuki waiting for them by the door and the boy escorted them through the masses toward the three towers set up in front of the courtyard.

The first one to climb up was Rei, followed closely by Yoshino.

The blonde showed confidence with each step she took, and Yoshino watched in wonderment as the sun bathed the tall girl. Even after all of the years they had spent together, Rei still had this incredible talent to take Yoshino's breath away.

When they moved the stairs from the first tower to the second, Shimako allowed Sei to climb up first; the blonde holding on tightly to Rosa Gigantea's hand. While everybody else saw the endearing moment, the two girls remained lost in a dark maze, and neither one was strong enough find a light.

The third tower, painted in red, stood tall in front of Sachiko, though without hesitation she climbed up. Yumi followed the heiress quietly, and hoped the raven-haired girl was okay with how high the top of the tower stood.

"May the second phase of the Hanadera Wars commence!" Yuuki said and watched a swarm of boys try climbing up the tower to get to the girls.

Yumi stood by Sachiko while Yuuki read questions to the boys who reached the top of their respective towers. But it was warm and as the minutes went by, Yumi could only concentrate on the sweat she felt drip down her back. At one point she removed the bandana she was wearing and wiped the sweat from her face before returning it to her head. And that was when she glanced at Sachiko again and realized the girl seemed troubled.

"You okay?" Yumi asked.

"I am fine."

"You're lying," Yumi said and watched the raven-haired girl turn and look at her with the straightest of the faces, "I left my handkerchief in my purse."

"And you couldn't tell me that earlier?" Yumi asked.

"I thought I could manage without it, that is all."

"I'll go get it."

"There is no need for you to leave…"

"I'll go get it! I heard you say you had a cold cloth in your bag, or whatever."

"Or whatever? Since when do you speak like that?"

"Since you made me wear Yuuki's pants." And with that Yumi tossed her sandals down the tower and climbed down a skinny ladder they had managed to place by it.

"She's something else…" Sachiko mused out loud.

"She is, Sachiko-sama," was Yuuki's answer.

On her way back to the student council's office, Yumi spotted Yoshino who had also come down from the tower and was at that second walking back from a concession stand.

"You came down, too? Yumi asked.

"Rei-chan was thirsty."

Then Yumi pointed toward the building and Yoshino understood what she meant, allowing her friend to proceed with her quest.

Once inside the building, Yumi ran up the stairs, the coolness of the air conditioner making her feel cold, and by the time she reached the third floor, she wanted to be outside in the warmth again.

Yumi opened Sachiko's bag, everything was so neatly arranged in each compartment, the brunette almost felt bad about disturbing it. But she needed to find the handkerchief and so she carefully searched for it through books, notebooks, pens and pencils, she also found Sachiko's wallet, but there was no sign of the towel.

Walking out of the office destined to at least get Sachiko ice from the concession stand that Yoshino had gotten juice from, Yumi took two steps toward the stairs and as she readied herself for the third, she felt someone shove her from behind. Losing her footing the brunette couldn't do much but twist around so she would fall on her shoulder and not her face. When she felt the contact with the ground and finally opened her eyes, she realized she was inside a box, being carried, "What are you doing?!" she screamed with no avail.

"Get me out of here!"

"Get me out of here!"

And the screaming continued until the box had been dropped down without much care.

When the lid was finally opened and Yumi sprung up from inside the box, her bandana long lost inside the box, the boys from the Mystery Novel Appreciation Society all but died.

"What are you doing?!" Yumi screamed.

"Ahh!"

"What are you thinking?!"

"I… I'm sorry Fukuzawa-san…" one of the boys finally responded, "We thought you were Yuuki-kun! He walks around wearing a bandana, too…"

"We're sorry, Fukuzawa-san," all four boy bowed deeply, and Yumi felt an incredible urge to hit all of them on the back of the head, though instead, she headed toward the door, but was quickly stopped by all four boys.

"I gotta go back!"

"But you can't leave like that!" the same boy who spoke with Yumi before – perhaps the president of the club – said.

"And why not?!"

"Because! If Yuuki-kun finds out we kidnapped you then the club will cease to exist. Please, Fukuzawa-san…"

"Then, how am I getting out of h—" Yumi was saying when she spotted a panda strolling across the hallway, "Stop that panda," she said, her voice calm, her eyes never leaving the bear.

###

If it was warm outside wearing the Hanadera uniform, that panda suit made the heat almost unbearable. Yumi's bangs were drenched in sweat and stuck to her forehead. Her – Yuuki's – button down shirt completely stuck to her back and she felt the torrent of sweat puddled on her lower back. When one spoke of swamp butt, one had absolutely no idea of what it entailed until they wore a panda bear costume on a hot day.

 _Goddammit!_ Yumi thought as she wobbled her way through the crowd. All of the boys in their own costumes still bouncing off the walls, and Yumi pressed on, "excuse me," she said, holding on to the panda's head on her way toward the red tower across the courtyard.

At first she had absolutely no idea why she thought of the red tower once she had finally left the Novel Appreciation Society headquarters. But as soon as she ran out of that classroom, the only thing she could think of was Sachiko, so she sprinted down the stairs and out the building she went.

 _What is she gonna think?_ Yumi thought.

 _She's gonna think I'm an idiot. She's gonna think I'm a stupid idiot who can't accomplish the simplest of tasks._

Still, Yumi pressed on, taking deep breaths so she wouldn't faint in that heat. Then she was finally able to see Sachiko and she halted her steps, letting her heart melt like it had been the first time she had seen the love of her life.

And Yumi simply stood there, looking up at the tower for a long while.

She saw Sachiko get up and lean toward Yuuki. Then the girl who was absolutely terrified of heights walked toward the side of the tower and stepped down quickly and with purpose.

Yumi stood her ground and watched Sachiko make her way across the crowd, first walking, then power walking, and finally, when the heiress started to run, it was clear to Yumi what was going on.

Sachiko sprinted through the swarm of boys and so did Yumi – as fast as that costume allowed her. Then at one point, Yumi heard her name being called loudly and with ardor.

"Yumi!" The honorific lost somewhere between the tower and where Sachiko was.

"Yumi!" She shouted again.

Much like a confluence, they met. Sachiko's body crashing against the panda, lifting the bear in the air first and then, like the strength had completely drained from her, Sachiko's knees crumpled to the ground.

So did Yumi's.

"I was worried sick!" Sachiko said, her eyes full of tears.

Yumi responded timidly, "I came as soon as I could…" and felt Sachiko pull the head of the bear off of her. The air, hot as it might had been, felt cool on the girl's face.

Sachiko wiped the sweat from Yumi's forehead with her hand, leaving the brunette's bangs, wet and swept to one side. "I was so worried!" Sachiko cried, holding on to Yumi's face with both hands before leaning in to rest her forehead on Yumi's, much like the brunette had done when she had rescued Sachiko at her grandmother's house, and much like then, Yumi whispered, "I'm right here…"

"I'm right here," she repeated with tears of her own, and watched Sachiko close the distance between them, her lips pressing against Yumi's, carefully, heavily, determined.

###

The day before the Hanadera war, inside Sachiko's bedroom, Suguru leaned against the closed door and watched the girl for a while before saying she looked nice.

"It is not like you have never seen me in a kimono before, Suguru-san."

"Very true, Sachan," the boy said, then pushed himself up and walked toward Sachiko, only stopping when his hand had found hers, "You're changing, and instead of learning to walk, you're growing wings," he smiled at her, earnestly – an honesty Sachiko alone was allowed to see.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you deserve to hear it. Because I know for a while you thought you would never be able to feel as connected to anyone as me," he chuckled before continuing, "and you were so wrong, Sachan!"

"Suguru-san…" Sachiko trailed off, the boy's name still echoing in the girl's head. How many times had she felt as if her world was going to crumble after being told by him that he would marry her, but he didn't love her? How many times had she lost sleep thinking of that boy she had learned to love unconditionally during her childhood, the boy she fell in love with while running through Sayako's garden during those never-ending summers they spent together? For so long Sachiko bore the burden of that unrequited love, it had become a curse; a plague which had tainted her heart in the darkest shades of black.

"You can't stop now, Sachan. I know it's hard and it'll require a lot of work and a lot of heart from you – and from her, too – but it's time you aimed higher."


	23. Slow Dance

A/N: May the fluff commence.

* * *

Winter had covered the streets with a thick layer of snow, and although the flakes that still fell from the sky created a wonderful scenery, the bitter-cold wind had deemed that afternoon unbearable.

If Noriko could have stayed indoors she would, but to say she'd be happy spending the night on campus would be stretching the truth. Plus, Sumireko would end up trying to drive there to pick her up anyway, so it was silly to even think about sleeping on the wooden bench between the coffee machine and Dr. Tanaka's office.

So the brunette prepared herself to brace the wind; gloves on, she made sure her beany properly covered her ears and she tidied her scarf, then she opened the door leading to the stairs. The fluffy snow crunched under her feet as she stepped down, and it felt weird but utterly satisfying to leave shoe marks on that unadulterated whiteness.

Noriko walked quickly toward the school gates, the campus, all but deserted because of talks of a snowstorm. And it was cold. It was fucking cold. _It would be funny if I got stuck inside a train for hours, maybe days, because of this snowstorm, I should have stayed home. I'm sure everybody else is home by now,_ Noriko thought. Sachiko's driver had picked up Yumi before lunch that day, and not even half-an-hour after that, Touko called Noriko to make sure the girl knew about the weather, then Kanako texted her right after Touko called – those two were together for sure!

 _Everybody's home, safe, and sound, and warm, and not stranded,_ Noriko kept on musing; her hands shoved deep into her front pockets, she let out a long sigh, her warm breath creating a large cloud in front of her.

She thought of Shimako.

Noriko thought of how she had exhaled a very similar breath before leaning in to capture Rosa Gigantea's lips, and they were sweet; she could taste the Cabernet every time she thought of that night – and it was incredible even though the brunette had never been a big fan of red wine.

Closing her eyes, Noriko thought of that kiss again, and again, and again. She thought of the way Shimako whispered her name when their lips finally parted ways; out of breath, Rosa Gigantea's hands filled with the younger girl's sweater, " _Noriko,"_ the voice pierced Noriko's core, letting the butterflies take over her chest. " _Noriko,"_ a sigh spoken between gasps, heavily laced with undertones of " _I want you_."

 _"_ _Noriko,"_ the brunette's mind drifted.

"Noriko—" she thought herself crazy.

"Noriko-chan!"

The brunette turned around to address the caller at last. And it was as if all of the air in the world wasn't enough to fill up her lungs.

"…"

Even after Shimako's soft "Gokigenyou," Noriko still felt off-balance; half floating half floored; the warmth in her chest fighting the freezing-cold weather.

"Go-gokigenyou," she finally managed, while Shimako closed the distance between them, then quickly took a hold of Noriko's arm and pulled the girl toward the school gates, "If we don't move fast, we'll miss the last train, father called me and said they have already closed J station."

The girls walked fast, all of the stores and restaurants in the two blocks that separated the train station and the University, were closed. Neither Noriko nor Shimako spoke a word to one another, though their arms remained locked; the extra warmth generated by their body heat serving as fuel for the power-walk.

Stepping into the station, Shimako finally released Noriko's arm, though instead of walking side-by-side with the brunette, Rosa Gigantea positioned herself in front of Noriko. The shorter girl looked up at two pools of gray for a long while, and she could have stayed like that for the remainder of the night; nevertheless, Shimako wrapped her arms around the girl; her chest pressed tightly against Noriko's as her lips landed carefully on the brunette's forehead.

"Shimako-san," she whispered to a mostly empty train station.

"You're all I think about," Shimako said, fighting the blush which stubbornly adorned her face, "I'm so glad I saw you today." And it was all it took for Noriko's knees to wobble; she dug her nails into Shimako's back, the peacoat taking the bulk of the assault; then burying her face in the crook of Rosa Gigantea's neck, she mumbled a shy, "me too."

"This is the penultimate northbound train of the night," a voice spoke through the P.A. system, "Please note that due to the snowstorm all buses have canceled their routes for the night."

"Shimako-san…" Noriko started, her face already burning with a flush, "You can spend the night at my house."

"But—"

"I won't let you stay here on your own. If we take the train now, we'll be home in 20 minutes."

"…"

"It's either that or I'll stay here with you."

###

When they arrived at Sumireko's house, the older woman was already in her room, the T.V. could be heard from downstairs, which made Noriko chuckle; if someone didn't know the older woman, they'd think she didn't care whether Noriko was stranded or not, but the truth of the matter was, before Noriko texted the older woman saying she had boarded the train and would be home soon, Sumireko was in her car, about to brave the slippery roads to go pick the brunette up.

Noriko took Shimako's coat carefully and hung it by the entrance door, then did the same to hers. She then placed both her and Shimako's shoes atop of a rug and led the older girl to the kitchen for tea.

Side-by-side, sitting at the dinner table, Noriko spoke of Sumireko for a long while, explaining what the older woman did for work and how she ended up living with her for quite a while now. "Sumireko-san is a great friend," she finished with a smile on her face.

The quiet clanking of the their teacups and saucers was all they heard for a long while; even when Shimako reached, ever so carefully, for Noriko's hand, diligently running her fingertips across Noriko's knuckles with a desperate slowness, the two girls remained silent. And that feeling of Shimako's fingertips meticulously touching every inch of Noriko's hand took Noriko's breath away.

And the brunette's hand didn't move. For as long as she could she stood there, allowing Shimako her own exploration of knucles, curves, bones, and scars on that hand. It was incredible to feel that fire ignite in the center of her being and spread across her body; the burning, the want, the complete losing of one's mind which happened with that unassuming touch.

At last Noriko lost her the battle she waged with herself, turning her palm up and lacing her fingers with Shimako's before bringing Rosa Gigantea's hand to her lips once, twice, three, and four, and five times, again and again until she stood, and Shimako stood with her; the older girl's lips parting, her eyes, glued to Noriko's mouth – giving the brunette all of the permission she needed to press on, to bring Shimako close to her, crushing her chest and hips and thighs against Rosa Gigantea. And instead of kissing the girl tenderly like the first time, Noriko's mouth reached for Shimako's bottom lip with ardor, biting and pulling it like her life depended on it.

"Riko..." Shimako breathed inside Noriko's mouth, the nickname spoken with eyes still closed, Rosa Gigantea's hands clutching Noriko's hair.

"You okay?"

"What if Sumireko-sama…" Shimako trailed off.

"She never comes down like that."

"Oh…"

Then Noriko held Shimako at arm's length, "How about I make you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, then you can shower while I blow up the air mattress for you?" she asked seriously.

Once upstairs –while Shimako was in the shower – Noriko fiddled with the air mattress until it was aired up, then she neatly covered the thing with sheets, placed one of her pillows atop of it and covered the entire thing with the thickest blanket she found in the closet.

 _There, she won't be cold tonig—_ her thought simply melted, her eyes glued to the figure standing in front of the door wearing Noriko's pajama pants and sweatshirt.

"Your turn," Shimako said, watching Noriko fumbled as she tried to get up, "Hai!" she responded awkwardly.

The brunette took her time in the bathroom because the same way she wanted badly to spend time with Shimako, she also worried that she wouldn't be able to keep her hands to herself around the older girl, and although she could tell Shimako felt the same toward her, she also wanted to respect Rosa Gigantea.

"How was your shower?" Shimako asked as soon as Noriko lay in bed.

"Good."

"I'm glad."

"Is the air mattress comfortable?"

"Oh yes! Thank you for going through all of that trouble for me."

"It's no trouble at all…"

"…"

"Say… Shimako-san…"

"Huh?"

"Are you warm enough?"

"I am. Thank you," Shimako answered.

"Good!"

"G'night, Riko."

"Night, Shimako," the honorific omitted on purpose.

It felt funny having someone else sleep in the room with her. It felt strange listening to someone else breath in and out from across the room. But what felt the weirdest was the fact that Noriko wanted badly for Shimako's breath not to be wasted into the thin air.

As Noriko's mind wandered, the older girl sighed heavily, and one could hear her fight with the covers for a while until it stopped again. Then Noriko heard it: the softest of the steps accompanied by the dragging of the blanket across the floor.

"I'm cold," Shimako whispered, standing in front of Noriko's bed in the dark.

The brunette lifted her blanked up, "here" she said softly, and Shimako obeyed quietly.

In the darkness of her room, Noriko felt the instant heat of Shimako's body close to hers, "Is this better?" Noriko asked.

Though there was no answer.

All Noriko could hear was Shimako's breathing accelerating and that warm breath invading Noriko's nostrils.

Shimako's body grew closer and closer to Noriko's, until there was nowhere else to go, until the space between their lips was paper thin; nonetheless, Noriko held her ground like a trained warrior; though she had experienced that close of skinship before, she was afraid Shimako had not, and it took everything in her to keep her hands from darting forth, burying her fingers in Shimako's perfect curls, then descending in the downhill exploration of every inch of Rosa Gigantea's uncharted curves.

###

Noriko was up early, she had kicked the covers off the bed at some point and her toes complained of being cold so the girl reached for the floor, grabbing the blanket and covering herself – from head to toe – and in her doing that, she saw the air mattress sitting empty across the room; a torrent of feelings smashing against her chest. In the safety of her blanket she covered her face with both hands just for another reminder to set her heart ablaze, the memories of that night flooding the brunette's mind: hair, fingers hips, and lips, and thighs, and toes, and thrusting, and begging, and whispering, and wanting.

And she inhaled deeply, her hands still covering her face.

Then after a while of waiting, the sudden realization that perhaps Shimako had fled Sumireko's house in the middle of that snowstorm had left Noriko with a sunken feeling.

The brunette sat on her bed and looked around for a while, then stood and headed downstairs. On the first floor, Noriko checked the door, both coats still hanging on it, Shimako's sneakers never moved either.

Then Noriko heard a familiar giggle emerge from the kitchen.

A second voice accompanied that giggle.

"…climbing the tree like a little monkey to catch the kite!" Noriko heard Sumireko say while Shimako giggled.

"And in the end, she ended up taking it down from the tree, then Takuya-kun came to hel— Ah! Riko!"

"I see you're telling that lame story again, Sumireko-san."

"It's my favorite story! And I wasn't even going to tell Shimako-chan the part you fell from the tree and broke your arm," Sumireko said with a smirk.

"Sumireko-san!"

"It's a funny story, Riko," Shimako interjected, then immediately corrected herself with a late, "-chan." Though, the gaffe didn't go unnoticed as Sumireko looked at Noriko and mouthed, "Riko," a terrifying grin on her face when she skillfully lifted her hand to her chest and gave Noriko a stealthy thumbs up.

###

"Is this better?" Noriko repeated softly.

"Riko…" Shimako ignored the question, her lips atop of Noriko's.

Then Noriko asked awkwardly, "Are you sure? And all she received as an answer was a nod.

"H-have you ever?"

"No…" Shimako said honestly, then asked "You?"

"H-hai," Noriko answered with hesitance.

"More than once?"

"Hai…"

"With women?"

"…And men."

"…"

Noriko couldn't bear the silence, "Does that change the way you feel?"

"I don't think many things can change the way I feel right now."

Shimako couldn't see it, but she felt Noriko's lips widen into a smile.

* * *

A/N: Let me know your thoughts!

Thank you for reading!


	24. A Fever

A/N: We'll flip the POV here for a wee bit.

Thank you for reading!

* * *

Shimako sat on the steps in front of her father's temple. That early February morning was so cold she could see her breath in the stillness of the morning. Cup of coffee in hand, she looked far into the distant path which connected the temple and the main road. She took a drink, then two, then three, her eyes never leaving that road which still held vestiges from the last snowstorm – she waited for Noriko.

Mid-way through her coffee she looked inside the mug, the steam still rising, her fingers taking full advantage of the warmth which radiated from the hot drink, and she couldn't fight the smile that adorned her face, unabashedly, when she thought of the night she spent at Sumireko's.

For the longest time Shimako tried not to create ties which could become difficult to dissolve in case she decided to leave Lillian. Her agreement with Satou Sei when the blonde gave Shimako her rosary had made things easier for her for a while since the older girl was the most hands-off Grand Soeur in history of Lillian. Though it was hard to keep her feelings at bay with the blonde for too long – the fact that Sei confided in Shimako the story of her broken heart, opened up the doors for Shimako to speak freely to Sei about her desire to join the Cloister– and Sei had become the first stubborn root that linked Shimako to Tokyo. Nevertheless, Sei was the first but not the last one; later came Yumi with her terrible mouth and Yoshino with the awful temper. In the end, all of those girls made it very hard for Shimako to make a decision about her future because those weren't just friends, they were family: people Shimako loved and cherished and wanted close to her.

Right then, sitting on those steps, waiting for Noriko, Shimako wanted terribly to anchor herself down, to weather the many storms that might come her way with the conviction that she'd be a safe haven to the people she loved, and that she'd find solace in her friends in times of need. While years ago Shimako fought not to be tied down to Tokyo, right then and there, as she sipped on her coffee, she prayed that Maria-sama gave her the strength to start building the foundation to a home which would house all of the incredible feelings she had.

And to think that Shimako would have stepped into Lillian's ground once again just in time to stumble upon someone like Nijou Noriko, made Rosa Gigantea even more sure that Tokyo was where she belonged.

As she thought of that fateful day she first saw Noriko, her heart fluttered – the torrent of feelings she experienced that afternoon was introduced to a brand new one, one she had never felt before, but that would go on to change her in many ways thereafter.

She could still remember how if felt stepping through those gates again after so long and looking up; the drama club – of all buildings – catching her attention far in the horizon.

And that blue building stood tall in the background; strong, ever so pompous in its contrast with the vibrant greens of the trees surrounding that campus. It was as if the essence of all girls which had ever been part of the drama club seeped through the inside walls and stained its shell with the color of their souls.

If she could explain her feelings at that moment, she'd simply point to that building, for she thought no further explanation would have been necessary.

Had she unbuttoned her shirt, her chest would divulge that same color, soaking through her skin from inside her as though her heart had had enough, finally deciding to rebel in the most unusual of ways.

Shimako recalled hearing the Sakura tree call out to her, "Come," and she pressed forward.

When she looked down and saw that the blue now bled through her white collared blouse, she grabbed onto the cloth atop her heart just to have her fingertips painted in the same color as her chest. She took a deep breath and straightened herself up when she heard multiple footsteps and giggles walk by. She smiled; kindness pouring from the simple gesture and allowing the younger girls, clad in black, to smile back. Then she looked at her hands, her knuckles also turning blue.

She blinked and looked up; the entire campus was then one single color.

She kept on walking until she finally stood in front of her old friend. Hands against the trunk of that cherry blossom tree, Shimako bowed and prayed – not for, but with the tree.

In mid-prayer, she heard more footsteps. And when she reopened her eyes, she saw the colors from spring, summer and fall all at once. Shimako watched carefully as the cherry blossom petals turned light-pink and started to fall, ever so gently with the breeze.

Then Shimako's heart skipped a beat when she saw Maria-sama stand in front of her.

She thought it was absolution.

Without saying a word Maria-sama let Shimako know that she was still watching over her, that it was okay for Shimako to have renounced her vow, that life would have to go on and that Shimako was free at last.

She stared at Maria-sama until another strong wind blew her hair in front of her face. When she tucked her strands behind her ears and was able to see again, Maria-sama wasn't there any longer, instead, a girl who resembled a traditional Japanese doll stood in front of her.

And she could have been Maria-sama just as well: silky jet-black hair sat atop the girl's shoulders, her bangs lay perfectly atop of that Maria-sama's eyebrows – and they were impeccably trimmed; not too short, not took long. Dark-brown eyes looked intently at Shimako, the girl's fists balled up, and Shimako could have sworn that she saw the girl's cheeks redden the longer she stood there, holding her breath.

Shimako thought of that scene again, where she saw Maria-sama stand amongst fields of flowers as the cherry blossom petals bathed the girl.

It was the first time she had felt her heart being pulled from her chest and offered to a stranger, all the while feeling the endlessness of that heart of hers: the more she gave, the more she had.

Rosa Gigantea could remember thinking she needed to say something, that silence wouldn't be enough, and she chuckled to herself as she couldn't fathom that "Gokigenyou" was all she came up with.

And she trembled when Maria-sama didn't respond.

Then she tried a different approach, "This Cherry tree is lovely, isn't it?" the wind picking up and blowing her hair in front of her face again.

Still, she couldn't make Maria-sama speak.

 _Third time is a charm_ , she could remember thinking before asking, "Was the sakura tree so beautiful that you forgot?" She shook her head, berating herself for not being good at… words.

When Maria-sama finally said –or mumbled –"Huh?" Shimako smiled, then at the "How to speak…" she face-palmed inwardly. It was like she had stored the worst of her lines for that moment.

"I… just remembered," Maria-sama answered – a relief for a blushing Rosa Gigantea.

"What a relief! I was afraid we wouldn't be able to speak although we were both invited by her." _Smooth... not!_

"Do you also see the flowers?" Maria-sama asked.

"Just like Furano. But I don't know why. It's the first time I see them here," she answered; perhaps the first cohesive sentence she had spoken that entire time.

Then the wind picked up yet again, and out of a sudden the light-pink petals blew away and everything went back to normal, "Do you have the time?" Shimako asked Maria-sama.

"It's four… five to four."

"Really? Then I have to be going." Shimako said, "I'll be late for a meeting." She wanted badly to add, "let's meet again," but knew that it might have been a bit pretentious to ask that Maria-sama for another encounter like that.

So, Shimako ran toward the Rose Mansion, her curls bouncing against her back, her heart racing like never before.

And to think that her heart's request would have been granted so quickly had her completely floored: the moment Shimako watched Noriko walk through the biscuit door, to Rosa Gigantea, there was no one else in the room but Maria-sama.

Shimako chuckled thinking of that day; of the awkward handshake she shared with Noriko – who had seemed even more flustered than Shimako for some reason. And how she didn't know what to do with her hands when she spoke with the brunette; completely unaware that Noriko didn't know where to look, so she stared at Shimako's hand.

###

Noriko walked down the white path and from the steps Rosa Gigantea watched as the brunette approached the main temple. Walking quickly, hands hidden deep in the front pockets of her jeans, the brunette crossed the gates and only stopped when she was in front of Shimako, "Gokigenyou," Noriko said, freeing the butterflies which were already rebelling inside Shimako's chest when the girl watched Noriko come close to her.

"Gokigenyou," Shimako responded, standing up. Then she placed both her hands on each side of Noriko's face, "You must be freezing," she said, and lightly placed her lips on Noriko's for a long –and well deserved– second.

When lips were once again at the mercy of the bitter cold air, Shimako asked Noriko if she was ready, and watched Noriko's fingers intertwine in hers before the brunette responded with a shy, "Hai." As simple as that gesture could have looked, it had completely shaken Shimako; not only because by reaching for Rosa Gigantea's hand Noriko was trusting the older girl with her heart in a way she had never before, but also because at that exact second Shimako had finally realized that her heart didn't belong to her any longer.

Rosa Gigantea had for a long time wondered about her feelings toward Noriko. Knowing very well that infatuation could at times get the best of someone, she was intentionally cautious around the brunette in the beginning –especially after Noriko ran away from her during the juzu debacle – however, being able to explain herself in the bus ride to the Amusement Park and spending an entire day around Noriko, had given her the green light to open up, to allow Noriko to see the many faces of Shimako as well as how incredible her heart was. And how amazing was it to have been able to convey a message so well to somebody like Shimako did?

Falling was easy, like spotting Noriko amongst the many Amusement Park goers who needed to refuel at the concession stand the two girls picked to have late lunch at. Falling was easy as realizing Noriko had been watching that entire time, and smiling back, because there was no other option than to do so when one realizes they were not alone in the falling.

Though, Shimako knew that easy was not what she wanted, that falling was just the beginning, so she waited, and watched, and started noticing the small things; the elevated anxiety, the stuttering, the awkwardness every time she approached Noriko, understanding that the younger girl was also worried about the falling for the same reasons Shimako was: once again, falling was easy.

Falling _was_ easy.

Standing; however, took heart.

The two girls made their way up the steps and into the temple; absolutely nothing had changed since the last time Noriko had been there, the table stood in the same place with the pillows still perfectly arranged around it, and a tall statue of Buddha was still in a corner of the room.

Shimako asked Noriko to sit, then she excused herself walking toward the door where her mother had exited the first time Noriko was there, making the younger girl think of that fateful morning and how the Priest –who at that time she didn't know was actually Shimako's father – had called the older woman _Love,_ so endearingly, it had almost brought tears to her eyes. Noriko thought of Touko and Kanako again that morning, thanking Maria-sama as well as Buddha, for bringing the two girls together finally.

In a matter of minutes Shimako was back, holding on to a tray containing two mugs and a teapot. Rosa Gigantea then sat the tray on the table by a black container the size of a shoebox, its lid secured by a ribbon around it. Then Shimako poured them a drink, steam rising from the mugs, " Are you ready?" she asked Noriko.

"I… think I am," the brunette responded, her eyes never leaving Shimako's.

"The Maitreya is not connected to the Shoguji temple, thought it has been in our family for a long time."

"I see," Noriko responded, still looking at Shimako.

The older girl untied the bow and removed the lid from the box, but before withdrawing the statue from it, she added, "We don't usually allow viewings unless there's a referral…"

"…"

Then Shimako unveiled the statue, and watched Noriko's swallow half the sentence she was about to say, "It's—" then the brunette –feeling like a mercenary for devoting her entire attention to the statue– remained quiet for a long while.

Shimako saw lavender and cherry blossom petals cover the table and floor around them. And she looked at Noriko intently, like it was a dream full of fields of flowers in summer and cherry blossom trees in spring.

"…It's like my soul has been cleansed."

Strangely, that was exactly what Shimako also thought.

"Thank you, Shimako."

 _What a pure soul_ , Shimako thought, wishing she could see more of it.

"Please, thank your father for allowing me to come to the temple again."

"I will."

"Shimako…" Noriko said, a shy smile adorning the girl's face, "I'll miss you this weekend."

"... you can call me at any time."

"But it's not the same as seeing you," the younger girl blushed.

"Well…" Shimako brought her hand to her mouth, her index finger acrossing her lips, her thumb under her chin, and in deep thought she stared at the Maitreya for a long while, "I guess we don't have anything going on this weekend, so I don't know… I could probably excuse myself for the next few days," she said, half to herself. When she realized she had actually said that out loud, her eyes widened and she looked at Noriko, both her hands in the air, palms toward the brunette, "I wasn't inviting myself! I don't know what I was thinking!"

"No! I think… I think it's… if you don't mind… it would be nice to have you over."

"But… your parents!"

"They'll love you," Noriko said matter-of-factly.


	25. Meteor Showers

A/N: Thank you for reading!

* * *

Shimako watched Noriko twist the handled of the front door and open it without having to use a key, "Mum, Dad, I'm home!" Noriko said to an empty living room, then looking at Shimako, she added, "They're probably in the back," while dropping her backpack by the stairs then taking Shimako's bag and setting it against the wall by hers.

Having no idea what to expect from that encounter, Shimako kept her guard up, although she was an introvert, she was very much able to handle public situation very properly – if there was something she had learned from being Rosa Gigantea, was that _fake it until you make it_ was indeed a thing. Nevertheless, the more she looked around that two-story home, the more comfortable she felt with the idea of meeting Noriko's parents: the packed bookshelves, the big T.V. screen surrounded by the colossal sectional in the living room which could only have been outshined by the black-rimmed glasses sitting on the half-opened newspaper that lay atop of a coffee table.

Shimako followed the brunette toward the back of the house, Noriko persistently squealing "Mum! Dad!" into the empty rooms until they reached the kitchen.

Then Noriko peaked through the window, "They're all out there!" she said, shaking her head and walking toward the door that led to the backyard, though before the brunette could touch the handle, the door swung open and in came a taller version of Noriko.

Creepy was only the beginning of how Shimako would have explained that phenomenon. How could two people look so similar?

"Riko-cha~~n! About time you got here!" the bigger version of Noriko said to the smaller one. Then she realized Noriko was not alone, "Holy shit, you have friends? Hi!" she said, introducing herself to Shimako.

"Todou Shimako," Rosa Gigantea responded, "Please, take good care of me."

"The only worry you should have is Mom and Dad trying to adopt you," the girl added, walking out of the kitchen, "Good meeting you, Todou-san!" she said to the empty living room before walking out the front door.

Rosa Gigantea looked at Noriko, the brunette's cheeks flushed, her mouth agape, "I didn't know she was going to be here!"

"Your sister?!"

"Yes!" Noriko said defeated.

"She seems nice..."

"She is nice! She's just… loud."

"I can handle loud, Riko."

"Okay…" Noriko said softly, pushing the back door open.

Outside, sitting at a round patio table, were a couple in their early-fifties and a guy in his mid-twenties. The trio had been laughing heavily which made Noriko chuckle, and that sound, quiet as it might have been, awakened the butterflies in Shimako's chest.

"Nijou Noriko!" Noriko's dad finally spotted the two girls waking toward the table, so he waived as he stood up; everybody else did the same.

"Come here! You little brat!" the older guy said when Noriko hugged him, then he lifted her up for a quick second, "I thought you had forgotten our address!"

"Dad!"

"Don't listen to your Dad, we're so glad you were able to make it!" the older woman said, clasping her hands together before bringing Noriko into a bear hug.

"You're squishing me, mum!"

And when the older woman had finally released Noriko, the young man greeted the brunette, "Ah! Riko-chan, long time no see!"

"I'm surprised you're still putting up with nee-san, Yuuto-san…"

"She's not half as bad as you think she is."

"Suuuuure…" Noriko responded trying hard to sound condescending.

"And you must be Todou-san," Noriko's dad said, smiling at Shimako, the salt and pepper beard tickling Rosa Gigantea's cheeks when the man brought her into a tight hug,

"We're so glad you're here!"

"Please, take good care o—," she tried to repeat herself, but was tackled by Noriko's mother, "Todou-san!"

"P-please, call me Shimako," Rosa Gigantea managed, feeling her bones crunch.

"Shimako-chan, pleasure meeting you," the young man, with western features and blonde hair shook Shimako's hand and bowed, "I hope you're ready to get your last name changed to Nijou this weekend."

"Yuuto-san! You're not being very helpful…" Noriko added in a whiny tone, which made the guy laugh.

"Don't listen to Yuuto-kun, Shimako-chan," Noriko's father said, waiving his hands, "Do have a seat," he pointed at the bench by Yuuto, "Riko-chan, you will get us a drink, right?"

"Yes…" Noriko said and walked back to the kitchen.

Sitting on the cushioned bench, Shimako watched quietly as Noriko shoved her hands deep into her pockets and shook her head on her way in.

"Do you need a blanket or anything?" Noriko's mom asked Shimako.

"No ma'am, thank you," Rosa Gigantea answered. By the portable patio heater, Shimako didn't feel the need to be covered.

"You're friends with Yumi-chan and the others, too?" Nijou senior, whose name was actually Nijou Satoshi, asked.

"I went to school with them, yes, and was part of the student council as well."

"So you were part of the Yamayurikai!" Noriko's mother chimed in. " Their graduation ceremonies are always wonderful. Did you like yours?"

"I…" Shimako cleared her throat before continuing, "I didn't attend graduation."

"Oh…"

"…I left Lillian before graduation time."

"And where did you end up graduating from?" Noriko's mom kept on asking.

"Through the Church of the Trappistine."

"You went from Mother Mary to Maria Teresia..." the older woman trailed off.

"Hai."

"That Hokkaido campus is incredible," the older woman said with a warm smile on her lips. Shimako nodded a quiet, "yes," and was thankful for the older woman's keen understanding of her past.

"And you're in uni now, I'm assuming?"

"Hai," Shimako answered, "Tokyo U."

"And how did Riko-chan coerced you to spend three hours in a train with her?" Yuuto joked, to which Shimako answered, "She's not half as bad as you think she is," drawing chuckle from the Nijous.

"We all know that Shimako-san is the fir—" Yuuto was cut off in mid-sentence by a loud, "Muuuuum!" which was screamed from inside the house.

"I don't understand why they never scream _your_ name," Noriko's mom whispered to her husband.

And he answered, "You have answers, I just have more questions."

After the older woman smiled at her husband, she looked at the wide open door in front of her, "Quit the bickering and bring us the wine. Were you, terrible offspring, squeezing the grapes yourselves?" she screamed at the top of her lungs, Shimako's eyes widening as the woman's words pierced her ears, then a wide smile adorned Rosa Gigantea's face – maybe wanting to be a Nijou was really not a bad thing, after all.

"And you, Aki!" The woman looked at her older daughter when she sat down by Yuuto, "You better behave yourself around Shimako-chan, Riko was nothing but nice to Yuuto-kun the first time we met him."

"Hohoh! Do you remember that summer?" Nijou senior asked his wife, then looked at Shimako before saying, "Yuuto-kun's face was so pale when we first met him, I was really concerned he was going to faint. You're certainly putting him to shame right now, Shimako-chan."

"But that's not fair…" Yuuto protested.

"That Shimako-chan is better at social situations than you are?" the dad asked.

"Yuuto did as well as a sixteen-year-old high schooler could have done. And don't say you didn't like him from the get-go, because you did!" Aki came to her boyfriend's rescue.

"We could only hope that you girls had enough brain cells to choose your partners wisely… Thought, I'm glad we don't have two Yuutos," the older woman finished laughing.

"Mum!" Aki squealed.

"Oh hush…"

"…"

"Did you check on the potatoes when you were making the wine?" the older woman asked, "could you smell them when you walked through the kitchen?"

"…"

"I could," Shimako said.

"Did they smell okay?"

"They did!"

"Good answer Shimako-chan," Satoshi said smiling, "Are you taking notes Yuuto-kun?"

"C'mon!"

"How about you come with me Shimako-chan? We'll check the oven and then I'll give you a tour of the house… unless Riko's manners have gotten better, I'm sure she never showed you around."

"Hai," Shimako said and stood, then followed the older woman toward the house.

It was Noriko's turn to stare at Rosa Gigantea's figure as she walked away.

###

Inside the house, Noriko's mom pulled a baking sheet full of quartered and perfectly seasoned potatoes from the oven, offering Shimako a taste and then setting the sheet back in the over claiming they needed to bake for an extra five minutes.

"We just remodeled the house a couple of years ago. Aki-chan was living at her dorm and Riko-chan was at Sumireko-san's, so it became our empty-nester project for about six months. We did it all on our own, it was surprisingly fun!"

Shimako clasped her hands together, "how wonderful!" she said.

"For a couple of old teachers, I think we did a pretty goo job as well," and with that, the tour started; the older woman explaining in details how they chose the kitchen cabinets and had to stain them because the color wouldn't quite match the countertops; how the flooring in the living room was done in one night and how at some point only half of the stairs connecting the two floors were actually usable.

"The bookshelves were Satoshi's request. For years many of these books were boxed up and put away…" Shimako took a step closer to the books, tilting her head she read some of the titles.

"Do any one of them strike your fancy?"

"I see a couple I might enjoy..."

"Then feel free to borrow them."

"Are you sure?"

"With one condition, of course…"

"…"

"You have to return them personally. Which will ensure us we will see Riko-chan soon."

"…"

"You love her, right?" the older woman asked casually.

Shimako's breath was instantly caught in her throat.

"…"

"That's what I thought."

"But…"

"You shouldn't worry. If anything, she's an earnest person, and terrible at hiding her true feelings. You must be a special girl, Shimako-chan."

"But what about the others? Was she not in love with them, too?"

"What others?

"There must have been others before me..."

"If there were any, she never brought them home…"

"So… you're saying…"

"…That since you love her, there's nothing to worry about," and with that, the older woman reached for a row of books, picking up a small hardcover, "Here," she said, handing it to Shimako, "this is one of my favorites."

Shimako accepted it, looking at both the back and front covers before taking a peak inside the poetry book. She then read the first line of the first poem and smiled, "Thank you. We'll bring it back to you soon," she said to the raven-haired woman in front of her.

"Come on, we're almost done with downstairs."

Following the older woman, Shimako looked at the book she was holding again, then back at the bookshelf, and around that home which was inhabited by the two people responsible for the person who was, day after day, taking over Shimako's heart, without even trying to, or knowing she was seizing that unknown territory.

"We added an extra bathroom down here, too," Noriko's mom pointed at a door before leading Shimako upstairs, "the girls used to fight every single morning about who would shower first. It was a nightmare! Now we have the extra bathroom, but no screaming girls…" she trailed off, her voice a bit softer.

Then before starting the trek up the stairs, the older woman grabbed the two backpacks that were sitting against the wall, "We'll take these to Riko's room."

"Oh… I'll carry mine," Shimako said. Then extending her arm toward the older woman, her long sleeve riding up and exposing the rosary wrapped around her wrist.

She thought of her onee-sama, who for a long while now had been the person to walk hand-in-hand with Shimako through the darkness.

Then she thought of Noriko.

Noriko was light.

And incredibly, Shimako needed both in her life.

How wonderful it would have been to be able to put that rosary around Noriko's neck at Lillian; _to have made her Rosa Gigantea en bouton_ ; to have allowed Noriko to be the light in the labyrinth Shimako had been lost in throughout a great part of her adolescence.

Maybe Noriko could have been that extra push which would have made her stay in Tokyo rather than uprooting her life and moving to Hokkaido.

 _Maybe there's still time_ , Shimako thought; time to spread the rosary out in front of Noriko and ask, "Is this okay?" before allowing the girl to share her burden, light her path.

Shimako walked up the stairs quietly, wondering if giving Noriko her rosary would come across as a strange thing to do, as such ceremony had no true value outside of Lillian.

"Aki-chan's room," Noriko's mom said opening the door to one of the four rooms upstairs. Shimako simply smiled at the older woman as she looked around.

 _Maybe because she doesn't know how important the rosary is, she wouldn't worry too much about the true meaning of me handing it to her_. But then again, if Noriko didn't know how important that rosary was to Shimako, then she wouldn't really understand the implication of accepting it.

Especially when that rosary was in fact Shimako's heart.

And she wondered how it would have felt to be able to share that heavy burden with another human being besides Satou Sei.

Rosa Gigantea's musing only stopped when she heard the click of the door being shut behind her.

"And this is Noriko's room."

There was no surprise going into that room. It was simple, clean, and it smelled of her; after all of those years of not being used daily, Shimako could still smell Noriko in that room. And she saw the brunette in every corner; from the bed with dark blue sheets, to the paperbacks perfectly piled on the old desk.

She wondered if it was strange missing the girl who she had just seen a few minutes prior to walking into the house.

She smiled, _strange would have been avoiding the fall,_ she concluded.

Strange would have been not wanting to talk with the girl and playing along with Noriko's incredible sense of humor. Strange would have been not wanting to stare at the brunette every time she smiled. Strange would have been not having that unbelievable urge to bring Noriko into a tight embrace every time Shimako saw her, and not wanting to claim her lips when she was enveloped in that hug.

Strange would have been not wanting to put her rosary around Noriko's neck.

Strange would have been not loving her.

###

It was late and Shimako was tired, her eyes, bloodshot, begged to be closed, her toes complaining, wanting, wishing she would take the three or four steps which were keeping her from the warmth of the house. Nevertheless, she stayed, sitting on a blanket neatly arranged on the roof of Noriko's parents' house, the Nijous to the right, Aki and Yuuto to the left.

All three couples stared at the sky.

As if it was in any way possible, Rosa Gigantea felt Noriko get closer; the brunette's arm no longer resting around Shimako's neck, but instead, wrapping around Shimako's waist – her hand accidentally grazing the basis of Shimako's breast and though Noriko quickly readjusted, Rosa Gigantea instantly reddened, radiating heat inside the blanked. Not even the quiet, "Sorry," from Noriko was able to appease that blazing inside Shimako's chest.

"I saw one!" Aki said, pointing toward the stars, and before she could put her arm back down, two or three more lightened the sky.

That cosmic debris, tracing the atmosphere with their ephemeral light, creating one of the most incredible night-scenes, could only have been outshined by the girl sitting by Shimako, eyes glued to the sky and the most wonderful smile on her lips.

Shimako felt Noriko's head rest on her shoulder, "Isn't it incredible, Shimako?" she whispered.

And before responding, "Yes, it is," Shimako's lips found Noriko's cheek.

Only then Rosa Gigantea finally looked up.

Pressing her hand against Noriko's, there was no other place Shimako wished to be than on that rooftop, wrapped to the bones, amongst the Nijous, in Noriko's arms.

Was it cliché to have wished that night never ended? Was it cliché to have felt the fireworks inside her chest as the meteors showered the sky?


	26. Hands Down

A/N: Hello. Thanks for reading!

* * *

Date.

A simple invitation which to anyone would have meant a night in the city, taking way too long to order an entree, sharing an appetizer, and then walking off the food before stopping somewhere else for drinks – if the conversation was good, of course.

Nevertheless, for Shimako, the quiet, "Have dinner with me next Friday?" asked by Noriko, might as well had been a "will you marry me?" instead, because although Shimako had been on dates before – all of which blind and somewhat forced because of her being Rosa Gigantea – it was the first time she had formally been asked out.

Ever.

To add to her anxiety she still needed to talk to her onee-sama about the way she felt toward Noriko – and the thought of passing down the rosary to the younger girl. Since the rosary had once belonged to Sei, Shimako thought it more than fitting to speak with the blonde before handing something that had been a piece of her to somebody else.

Sei needed to know.

And since Sei needed to know, a few days before that date, Shimako found herself sitting across her onee-sama at the older girl's apartment. Cup of tea in hand, Shimako looked at Sei for a long time, the older girl allowing her petite soeur to take her time in that silent exploration of the blonde's face. It had been a while since they were found alone in a room with no one else around, and much like in high school, they very much felt comfortable with each other's stillness.

It wasn't terrible to admit that their relationship was successful because it was taciturn – the connection between the two girls went beyond simple words. Yes, there were times, of course, that a long conversation was needed, that an endless night of words had been requested by both parties, that a raft of sentences had been either spilled or written by one of the two friends; however, it was in the tranquility of a gaze, the quietness of a hug, the strength of a hand held that their relationship became what it had become.

"You look happy, Onee-sama," Shimako started, placing the teacup and saucer on the coffee table so she could devote all of her attention to Sei.

"You keep saying that…"

"Because I can't stop seeing it," Shimako said with the certainty of someone who had been as lost as the girl sitting across from her. And to see those two pools of gray, clear as a sunny day, had even brought Shimako to tears the first time she saw her onee-sama after coming back from Hokkaido.

Quietly, Shimako thought again of the day Sei had driven to the Shoguji temple to see her for the first time after the year the younger girl had spent in the Cloister. When Shimako's tears rolled down her face as she looked at Sei standing in front of her, she praised Maria-sama, first for allowing her to see that smile on Sei's face – the brightly honest one she rarely saw – and secondly, for the ability to be held tightly by her dear onee-sama once again.

To be sitting across the woman at that instant, looking into her eyes and still seeing light, to Shimako, it meant more than anything in the world.

"I think whatever you're seeing is Youko's doing," Sei responded. Then Shimako added a quiet and playful, "I know."

"Oh! So you know, huh?"

"It's not like you're hiding it."

"You make a good point..."

Then it was Shimako's turn to smile brightly. How incredible it was to have been able to hear those words coming from her onee-sama's mouth, and the thought that much like Noriko was her light, Youko was Sei's.

They were darkness, both of them. They were very much the same person; quiet, unyielding, and before they met one another, they were willing to suffer alone, though after their paths crossed, after Sei allowed Shimako to see her in her brokenness and confusion, after Shimako had allowed Sei to wrap the blonde's rosary around the younger girl's wrist, sharing that heavy burden, they always had one another to rely on.

"I'm so glad," Shimako added.

"Shimako…" Sei said seriously, catching the younger girl off guard.

"…"

"Tell me what worries you…"

"Onee-sama?"

"Has it…" Sei pointed at Shimako's wrist before continuing, "become a burden to you after all these years?"

"Onee-sama! Why do you say that?"

"You've been fiddling with it ever since you sat down."

"Have I really?"

"Yup."

Shimako took a deep breath, Sei still staring at her petite soeur as if telling Shimako she would wait as long as it took.

"When…" Shimako finally started, "did you know about Youko?"

"That I loved her?" Sei asked candidly.

"H-hai…"

"You know… It took a long time…" Sei began, folding one of her legs under he rear. "I hated the strength in her, I hated that she was able to take care of a room full of adults like it was the Yamayurikai. I hated that she was a meddler in the most gallant of ways. I hated her because we were fundamentally different, and because we tried oh so hard to be terribly good and annoyingly bad."

"…"

"I'm serious… But, somehow she loved me – even the weakness in me, she loved. Even when I couldn't reciprocate her feelings she never demanded anything back like many would. And she loved me quietly; even when I was consumed by Shiori, she loved me." Sei chuckled before continuing, "Looking back everything is so clear, everything makes so much sense… Looking back I was an asshole. I was terrible, selfish, spoiled. I demanded a love that was out of reach, I cried for someone who couldn't accept my love, while Youko stood on the sidelines warning me endlessly that I was going to get hurt. I pushed Youko away. I treated her terribly because all I wanted to see was Shiori. When all was said and done, Youko was still there, she never left. She rescued and comforted me; like a wounded puppy she took care of me, making sure I'd survive and when she knew I was okay, she set me free, though by that time I already loved her. And I didn't fall for her while she was dressing up my wounds, I fell for her when she wasn't looking, when she was worried about Sachiko, when she was distracted looking out the window. I fell for her when I first saw her for whom she was, Mizuno Youko, not Rosa Chinensis en bouton, just Mizuno Youko. I felt my heart pulling me toward her on a Friday morning, when her eyes were still bloodshot and she was half-asleep, trying hard to keep her head up after an all-nighter. I fell in love with her strength – the thing I hated the most in the beginning. I feel in love with her ability to lead, with her interfering in everybody's lives with the best of intentions…When I was able to see her, I fell in love with all of her. All of it."

"Sei!" Shimako said the girl's name so naturally it was as if she had never called her by any other name. Then Shimako buried her face in her onee-sama's chest, arms wrapped around the blonde, "I am so glad you finally told her."

"I waited too long. I should have told her even before you showed up in our lives."

"But… then things would have been different between us," Shimako trailed off, her arms still around Sei's waist, her fingers squeezing the rosary on her wrist.

Sei kissed Shimako's head, then carefully held on to both her shoulders so she could look at her petite soeur's face once more, "But..." she started, "things aren't different, you're still my little sister, I still love you more than you can imagine, and because I love you, I also know you, and that being said, I know you're not here to speak of what-ifs. Tell me, little one… the rosary, why has it become such a burden?"

"Onee-sama," Shimako said, "The rosary has never been a burden. Ever since you wrapped it around my wrist, it has been a reminder that I am loved, that I am cared for, that you and the other girls are my home… And because I cherish this rosary so much, I'd like to share it."

"So you came here to ask me for permission…" The sentence coming out more as a statement than a question, and receiving a clear "Yes," as answer.

Shimako watched Sei smile, she watched her onee-sama look straight at her, her eyes locked in the center of the younger girl's face, and Shimako simply looked back with the serenity which had always been expected from the White Rose.

Then Sei finally spoke, "If it was anyone else, I'd tell you to wait, because it's too early to make such an important decision – especially since we're not at Lillian anymore and to me, trusting your rosary with someone you practically just met comes with high risks. Nonetheless, since we're talking about Riko-chin…" and at that Shimako made an o with her mouth as if surprised that Sei knew, though the blonde lifted her hand to say she wasn't done, and Shimako obliged with quietness, so Sei could finish her thought, "…then you have my blessing."

Then instead of asking the question she was going to before Sei stopped her, Shimako asked, "Are you sure?"

"Are _you_ sure?" Sei shot back.

"I love her," was Shimako's quiet answer.

At that, Sei smiled again. She knew the dangers of a first love, she knew of the terrifying feeling of losing ground, of falling in that endless abyss that love could be, and though she wanted to protect Shimako from all of the hurt that the end could bring about, she couldn't force herself to tell her petite soeur to go slow, because slow was not love, because cautiously was not how falling should be.

Still, Sei asked Shimako to explain to Noriko what the rosary meant to her before handing it to the brunette, because, "If you don't tell her that she has your heart in her hands, then she might be reckless with it – Not that I don't trust Riko-chin, it's just that I'd hate to see you suffer, little one."

###

Shimako arrived at K-station twenty minutes ahead of schedule; still, she wasn't able to beat Noriko, who stood with her back against a pillar, one foot up on the wall, her legs forming the number four as she stood. The brunette looked up at the ceiling, making Shimako wish she were able to read her thoughts.

One of Noriko's hands grabbed on to a small paper bag by its delicate handles and Shimako knew exactly what the contents of that bag were.

Rosa Gigantea halted her steps and watched the brunette across from her; the skinny black jeans, the dark-blue and white plaid shirt –buttoned up all the way to the top– the baby-blue, high-top chucks.

Noriko was pretty in a way Shimako thought wonderful.

Noriko was the type of pretty Shimako couldn't avoid, the type of pretty her eyes couldn't stop finding. In a train station full of people walking fast up and down the isles, Noriko was the stillness Shimako wanted to see, the incredible, quiet light she alone was able to find.

And Noriko's jet-black hair shone under the bright lights, the always perfectly aligned bangs were then swept to the side the younger girl's head was leaning on, making Shimako wonder what Noriko would look like if she allowed that hair to grow pass her eyebrows – would she look like Sachiko? _I bet she would,_ Shimako thought, a smile tugging at her lips.

After a long while watching the brunette from a corner, Shimako made her way toward Noriko. And it only took two or three steps for the brunette to spot Rosa Gigantea walking her way. Immediately after seeing Shimako, Noriko straightened up, smiling brightly, and it was all it took for the air to be stolen from Rosa Gigantea's lungs.

Like the leaves of a Sakura tree in spring, Shimako's heart swayed and all but disconnected from her chest, flowing toward Noriko, and that feeling of losing wasn't anguishing; on the contrary, it was all Shimako wanted – to be able to offer Noriko all of her – and that freedom was selfless, much like Rosa Gigantea thought when she pictured love.

Stopping right in front of Noriko, Shimako offered a quiet, "Gokigenyou," to which she was answered with an unexpected and breathless, "My God!"

"Riko?"

"Y-you look incredible," was Noriko's reasoning for the unusual greeting, then when she finally recovered, she offered Shimako a shy, "Gokigenyou, these are for you," she quickly handed the baggy to Shimako.

"They're…"

"The one's you said you liked, right?"

Shimako had mentioned briefly her fascination with candy from that specific store the first time she had met Noriko at the Rose Mansion. It was hard for her to fathom Noriko was paying attention to anything Shimako said that afternoon, since to Shimako, the brunette was more worried about Touko and Kanako than with anything else.

"Thank you…" Shimako said shyly, her cheeks painted in the nicest shade of pink.

"Of course!" Noriko answered, then continued, "Wanna try them?"

At Shimako's nod, Noriko took Rosa Gigantea by the hand and walked her to a bench, "I got you a three pack…" she chuckled, "I had no idea what your favorite flavor was…"

"Then try them with me," Shimako said, sitting down and reaching for the plastic container that house the three mochi balls, "number one is sweet bean paste," she took a bite and gave Noriko the other half. Her lips covered in powdered sugar, she covered her mouth with one of her hands, and she chewed on the treat until she was able to speak, "I like sweet bean paste, especially the way they treated it before they wrapped the mochi around it," she finished, watching Noriko pop her half in her mouth and chew it slowly.

"It's good!" was Noriko's shy verdict.

Then Shimako retrieved the second mochi from the container, "this one is really good, too" she said, taking a bite off the strawberry one and watching Noriko as she examined the half-bitten ball she was given, "Clever," she said, "they off-set the sweetness of the mochi with the tart of a strawberry, huh?"

"It has to be one of my favorites… but this one, though…" she pulled the last one from the container, "this one ought to be my all-time favorite," she lifted the mochi up and looked at it for a long time before bringing it to her mouth.

Then Noriko ate her half of the treat, the green thing coating her mouth with the sweetness of the mochi and the freshness of the matcha's filling. And that bite immediately took Noriko back to Furano.

She thought herself crazy for being able to smell the lavender, and for a split second she really doubted her sanity for feeling the shaking and hearing the rattling of the old train that took her to her hotel after she left the lavender fields.

She thought of that afternoon, when, starving, all she had in her backpack was the candy she had purchased at the welcome center before her mind was blown away by none but the girl who at that second sat by her at K-station.

When Noriko had chosen that fateful bag of candy in Furano, the colorful wrappers had thrown her for a loop once she realized that the entire bag of candy was green tea mochi.

Eyes closed, Noriko kept on chewing the dense dessert, the smell of lavender still in her nostrils, until Shimako broke the silence with, "A green tea mochi ball made me leave Hokkaido."

Which made Noriko choke.

"I'll get you water," Shimako said, running toward a vending machine.

 _Did I say something wrong?_ Shimako wondered as she swiped her card and pressed the E7 button; then when the water bottle fell into the little chamber and she fished it from the machine, she looked at Noriko sitting at that bench; coughing fit under control, the brunette wiped the powdered sugar from her mouth with the tip of her fingers.

 _Maybe she doesn't care._ Shimako reached for the rosary on her wrist, _Onee-sama, are you really okay with me doing this? Do you really trust Noriko with my heart?_

"Here," Shimako twisted the lid open and handed the bottle to Noriko, who took a pretty big gulp and then cleared her throat before thanking Shimako.

"You're welcome," Shimako replied and watched Noriko stand up. Taking a step closer to Rosa Gigantea, the brunette reached for Shimako's hand, lacing their fingers together.

"I was in Furano when I decided to leave the cloister."

"Shimako…"

Shimako shook her head quickly as if saying she wanted to keep going, "Every now and then I travelled down there from Hokkaido to help with the diocese's cleaning," she started, then explained that on days they were done early, she'd walk to Kami-Furano to see the flowers. "I remember the very first time I saw the rows of lavender… I was taken aback," she had thought it to be a sign, a true testament she was doing the right thing by joining the Convent. Week after week she'd return for more. And as she watched the transformation of scenery which came about with the change of seasons, she finally understood the significance of Ecclesiastes 3: there was indeed a time for everything – to plant and to uproot, to tear down and to build… to search and to give up.

"The more I returned to that same hill, the more I saw the seasons changing the fields – the flowers budding, and blooming, and dying – the more I questioned. And I wondered endlessly if I was allowing _my_ seasons to change, if I was letting life take its proper course by being in Hokkaido."

Shimako looked at Noriko and saw two chocolate pools staring at her, one of the brunette's hands in her pockets, the water bottle long forgotten atop of the bench they stood in front of.

"More and more I felt as if God had a paintbrush, and while he was trying to paint this wonderful picture, I kept on hitting his hand and messing up his work," Shimako chuckled, her eyes never leaving Noriko's until she reached for the younger girl's free pocket, pulling Noriko closer to her, and while she looked down at the blue chucks, Shimako said softly, "your shoe's untied," then she bent down and tied it, the rosary's crucifix dangling as she looped, swooped, and pulled the shoelaces, her heart swaying as well, "there," she finished, standing back up.

Then she continued, "I started to ask for signs… For the longest time I waited for something, anything else beside the flowers to show me that I didn't belong in Hokkaido." She proceeded to explain that try as she might, she saw nothing, "I was expecting a grandiose gesture, letters across the clear sky, a hail storm… I was expecting the bells not to ring at midday." Only when Shimako understood that the sign she was waiting for didn't have to be complex in order to convey God's message, was when she finally saw it, "I saw it through the eyes of a little girl who hiked up the hill I was standing at, just to offered me a piece of candy."

Shimako explained that at first she turned it down, she couldn't take the treat from the little girl, "But then she said it was a gift from Maria-sama," Rosa Gigantea couldn't stop her lips from smiling, "She said that she needed to share it with a friend, because since it had come from Maria-sama, it would be a waste if she ate the entire thing by herself." Shimako then proceeded to explain that she took the candy, unwrapped it and broke it in half, giving a piece to the little girl and eating the other half, "It was green tea mochi… It tasted exactly the same as the one we just had… Father used to buy them for me when I was younger and always told me to share them with my friends, because it was happiness in green ball form."

"So you think the mochi was a sign."

"The little girl with Maria-sama's mochi, yes."

"…"

Then Shimako reached around Noriko, grabbing the water bottle and taking a drink, "Green tea mochi brought me to you."

###

The girls walked shoulder-to-shoulder on the sidewalk, headed to a bar, "So Because of Sei-sama, Youko-sama convinced Sachan to ask you to become her petite soeur knowing you'd decline?" Noriko asked.

"Onee-sama just needed a little push, that's all," Shimako defended her Grand Soeur.

"Little push, huh?" Noriko chuckled.

It was easy for Shimako to protect Sei because the girl knew very well the reasons behind Sei's lackadaisical behavior. Though Shimako's simplistic explanation had left Noriko an ocean away from the truth, so she continued, "We were both in the dark when I accepted Sei's rosary," Shimako moved her gaze from Noriko to the street, the cars coming and going as the lights flashed green, yellow, red "In many ways, we were in the dark; not only because we knew little about each other, but because our demons were comfortable with the lights off." It was hard to admit that while they were still lost in their labyrinth, it was comforting to have found Sei to be lost with. And though Sei held her hand tightly at first, Shimako was the one who never let go. "And because of that, this rosary…" Shimako lifted her right hand up, the small beads peaking from the long sleeve of her jacket, "…means the world to me."

"I see…" Noriko said softly, still admiring the brightness of the beads.

The two girls stood side by side at a sidewalk waiting for traffic to stop so they could cross the road, when Shimako broke the silence again, "Noriko…" she spoke the name softly, annunciating each syllable with the utmost care, and fighting with her heart which beat in her throat at that second.

At the silent eyebrow raise Noriko gave her in response, Shimako proceeded while they crossed the road, " You're… light," the simple words left Shimako's lips in a shy whisper, but the strong resolve was never lost, nor was it contested by Noriko.

Then Shimako took a couple steps in front of Noriko, turning around she stopped, forcing the brunette to halt her steps to avoid a crash.

"…"

"Riko..." Shimako started, "If we were Lillian students, history would have repeated itself. I would have offered you this rosary in a heartbeat – no questions asked. Much like Sei trusted me without knowing anything about my background, I'd trust you. Then with time you'd see I had the most wonderful friends anyone could have asked for, and though incredibly intelligent and nice, they were also remarkably overprotective, but that's because they love unconditionally. Then you would learn that I had grown up in Tokyo, that I had attended Lillian since kindergarten; that weirdly enough I am an accredited master of Japanese dance… That… I had never fallen in love with anyone before you came around."

"…"

"And you might ask me why I am saying all of these things after we've already kissed, and we've..." Shimako trailed off, her cheeks flushing as she thought of the nights she spent at Sumireko's and the Nijous', when Noriko's smooth legs grazed hers ever so gently before their kiss deepened, and their bodies pressed against one another's, and their fingers fumbled with shirts, and pants, and panties, and bras… "Since we didn't meet in high school, I've missed the opportunity to make you my petite soeur then, though, right now there's nothing keeping me from offering you my rosary… as a way to tell you I can't stop thinking about you, that every time I see something funny I want to share it with you, that I catch myself daydreaming of your smile. And that even though I don't know many things about you, I want to. With all of my heart, I want to know everything about you."

"…"

Shimako unhooked the rosary from around her wrist, holding it open in front of Noriko, "This is my heart, and it belongs to you."


	27. Wreckage and Bone

A/N: Somebody left me a couple of comments in regards of Noriko having had sex before, and I wanted to address that really quickly... In this specific story, I pictured Noriko as being quite the independent kid since she didn't spend her adolescence at Lillian. Although she might had grown up as a bit of an outcast, she still grew up in the secular world (seesh, I haven't used that term in years!), and that being said, it would be silly for us to expect that, at 19, she'd still have her V-card. I can see her wanting to experiment just to know how things worked - with both girls and guys. Add the fact that there was no love involved, voila! You get a Noriko with some experience - for Shimako's luck! Could you imagine how messy it would have been if both of them were virgins? ;)

Hope that explains my thoughts on the matter.

Now...This chapter is bumpy...

As always thank you for reading.

* * *

There were two bare wrists and ten fingers which entwined at shoulder level.

There were two smiles, bright and honest; thankful that time had healed their wounds, but also aware of the long war they had to wage against their demons.

There were two hearts connected in the most wonderful of ways.

The Sakura tree was there, too, shedding its petals like tears which stubbornly fell from one's face.

###

 _This is nice_ , Noriko thought, locking the screen of her cellphone after her last text to Shimako.

 _This is really nice._

Not in a million years did she think her heart would welcome so many people in such a short period of time; not in a million years did she think people would have made space in their own hearts for her.

That reciprocity still amazed Noriko, making her wonder if things would have been the same if she had met those girls years ago in the neatly kept paths of Lillian gakuen. " _If we were Lillian students… I would have offered you this rosary in a heartbeat – no questions asked,"_ Noriko replayed Shimako's words in her head, and that alone was enough proof that no matter when, whether sooner or later, meeting those girls was inevitable.

That Saturday morning, spent with Takuya, had been productive in many ways. The older guy had updated Noriko on his own plans for spring break and the two friends had spent the entire morning looking at pictures of the church's wall which Takuya agreed to restore.

Then the conversation swiftly moved from raw materials, proper chemicals, and best practices to why a Buddhist enthusiast, one with no ties with the Catholic Church, had decided to wear a rosary around her wrist.

"She wanted me to have it," Noriko tried to answer as casually as possible, flipping the page from the binder that sat in front of her, to what Takuya tilted his head and gave the brunette quite a sour face in return.

At the, "What?" Noriko shot back, he responded, "This is Todou Shimako you are speaking of, right? Todou-sensei's little girl, the one who attended Lillian, am I right?"

"Yeah..."

"The one who once held the tittle of Rosa Gigantea…"

"Right."

Then Takuya reached for Noriko's wrist, carefully taking the crucifix with the tip of his index finger and thumb, and placing it on the palm of his hand, "Did she explain to you how important this little thing is to her?" he asked.

"It was her big sister's before it was hers. She told me the story…"

"Riko… I think you're missing the point here…"

"…"

"Do you love her?" The older man asked honestly.

"Takuya-kun!" Noriko squealed loudly, all eyes at the older guy.

"Do you?"

"Why are you—"

"If you don't love her, the rosary doesn't belong to you."

"Takuya-kun?!"

"If you don't love her you shou—"

"I don't know!" Noriko responded candidly. Standing up, she turned her back to Takuya and walked toward the window which led to the older guy's balcony, "How do you want me to know, Takuya-kun?"

Then she turned around; leaning on the windowsill she addressed her friend again, "I don't know if this feeling stuck in my throat is really love, but I'm scared of it not being love; because I'm not sure I can handle much more than what I'm feeling right now…" Noriko smiled, her eyes moving from Takuya to the ceiling, "Every time I see her, I feel like the ground is stolen from me. The air disappears from my lungs, and instead of fleeing, all I want is for my heart to meld with hers. She has this incredible ability to shatter my armor, break my walls, and even still, I'm completely fine being vulnerable in front of her... Is that love, Takuya-kun? Is love what I feel when she smiles at me every time our eyes meet? Is love what I feel when she laughs and my heart melts in front of her?" Then Noriko raised her voice, "Is this love Takuya-kun? You tell me, because I don't know…" she said clenching her teeth.

"Riko…"

The brunette fought back tears. Saying those words out loud made Noriko feel the heaviness of Shimako's rosary for the first time, finally realizing what Takuya meant when he tried to explain the complexity of Shimako's simple gesture.

Still looking at Takuya, Noriko brought both her hands to her mouth.

Then she finally let the waterfall of tears roll down her face, freely at first then onto Takuya's shirt once the old friend embraced the girl tightly for as long as Noriko needed him there.

###

Noriko waited in front of the doors until they opened, then she jumped off the train one station before the one she was going to meet Shimako at. The brunette headed up the stairs to get Rosa Gigantea a pack of green tea mochi and with each step she took, the rosary, wrapped around her wrist, moved slightly enough to remind her it was there, and why it was there, and how it had made its way there.

As the crucifix swayed, so did her heart. And there was a rhythm to it, there was a soft melody revolving around both heart and rosary, which day after day, meld the two together.

It was heavy; the rosary was full of feelings which had belonged to each girl who had once owned the small piece of jewelry, and Noriko's feelings –all of them – were also permeating the clear coat of the tiny blue beads. Though much like a blessing, the heaviness of those feelings wasn't a burden – to the girls who once owned that rosary, the responsibility of having it against their skin was a bigger hardship than the weight of those feelings, which had made the beads so heavy.

In the end, it had become harder and harder for Noriko to look at her wrist and to imagine that it had once been bare.

That rosary had traveled across an ocean, passed from hand to hand through generations of White Roses, and had finally found its home with someone who had never attended Lillian, who was never a White Rose, who was never called Rosa Gigantea, but who was somehow rightfully deserving of it.

"Ah! Riko-chan!" The older woman on the other side of the counter greeted the brunette, reaching for the sliding door in front of her and pulling a small, clear container with three green tea mochi neatly arranged inside; a sticker with the logo of the store imprinted on it sealing the thing shut, "Here," she handed the box to Noriko, "My treat today."

"M-Miyuki-sama…"

"Oh, please! You have humored me for how long now? As far as I know I still own this place, so I do as I please."

"Y-you… are the owner?"

"Yuki Mochi... Miyuki… Yuki…" The elderly woman said with a grin on her face.

And Noriko stood in front of Miyuki, her cheeks red, her mouth agape for a long minute before her brain started to function again, "I'm an idiot…" she said under her breath, making Miyuki laugh.

"Oh, dear! You are most definitely not an idiot! Just a girl in love," she chuckled.

"Miy—"

"I bet you weren't sure about that either, right?" her laugh was hearty and honest. "Now that you know, you should tell her."

"…"

"The blonde girl I saw you walking hand-in-hand with last week. Riko-chan, I'm old, not stupid…"

"Uh…"

You should tell her!"

"Tell her, huh?"

"Why, yes! There's no better feeling than looking someone in the eyes and telling them how you feel."

Noriko thought about it for a second. She quietly looked at the green mochi in front of her; then inside the display case, she saw the three-pack she had bought Shimako at Yuki Mochi the day she had talked to Miyuki for the first time.

Lifting her eyes from the candy, Noriko looked at Miyuki seriously at first, then her eyes softened and the corner of her lips slowly upstretched into a smirk, "When the opportunity presents itself," she said matter-of-factly.

###

Noriko walked out of Yuki Mochi shaking her head in disbelief to what she had agreed on doing, "Bring her in next week, Noriko-chan. I'd love to meet her!"

Looking at the box she held in her hands, Noriko headed to the stairs which would lead her to the train platforms, which would take her to Todou Shimako, to Rosa Gigantea, to the girl who had in her own quiet and stoic ways made a home of Noriko's heart.

So, the three dreading words floated in Noriko's mind, and she thought of how terribly binding they were for somebody like her, who had always seen love with utmost respect. Could a 19-year-old Noriko be that certain about her heart? Would that flame which burned deep inside her chest be the same ten years from then… twenty years from then? Would it? Because if the answer was no, then there was no reason for her to tell Shimako the truth.

And the truth was simple: Noriko loved Shimako.

Mochi in hand, she looked at the rosary wrapped around her wrist one last time before she started to walk down the stairs.

And for her surprise, even before she had reached the bottom of the steps, Noriko spotted none but Todou Shimako from across the tracks.

Like always, Rosa Gigantea looked impeccable in the simplicity of her black slacks and the light blue mandarin-collared button-down shirt all neatly contained by a dark-gray peacoat.

Noriko's chest was ablaze. And for a second, there was no doubt in her heart about how long that flame would burn – forever perhaps would be an underestimation.

Nevertheless, the fire which had been carefully contained within her heart was not expecting the gusts of winds, which much like in a summer wildfire – in both its quickness and devastation powers— would obliterate all that had been harvested inside Noriko.

Walking behind Shimako there was a woman Noriko had never seen; tall, long blonde hair, her long coat covering a pair of ripped jeans and a blue hoodie.

The woman approached Shimako with careful deliberation, touching Rosa Gigantea's shoulder with one hand, waiting for her to turn around.

And Noriko watched Shimako throw herself in the arms of that woman with such force, they almost went tumbling into a bench.

A Sakura tree painted the white-walled corridors with the most incredible shades of pink, a soft melody could be heard across the station, and if one paid enough attention, they could see the various music notes dancing around the cherry blossom.

Then, as the two girls looked at one another for a long time, there were two bare wrists and ten fingers which entwined at shoulder level.

And foreign lips pressed against Shimako's cheek with slow deliberation making Noriko's knees buckled.

She held on to the railing so she could lower herself down; people simply going around her on the stairs. And Noriko watched as the two girls in front of her spoke with one another; intimacy lacing their every move – a caress on the cheek here, a kiss on the hand there, and Noriko's eyes filled up with tears which she fought back relentlessly.

Anybody walking by the couple could feel their connection, one look at those smiles –bright and honest—and they'd understand that those two were thankful that time had healed their wounds. Anybody could see that in the middle of those corridors there were two hearts connected in the most wonderful of ways.

That deep connection brought the two girls into yet another hug. The blonde, cupping Shimako's face, looked into Rosa Gigantea's eyes while speaking to her, then from what Noriko was sitting, she saw, but couldn't believe what came after that embrace, after that exchange of words.

She –whomever she was– pressed her lips against Shimako's, then as if it was something she did to anyone, Shimako, on her tip-toes, placed a kiss on the woman's forehead before bidding her farewell and boarding a train.

And as the train departed, the Sakura tree disappeared, though the melody continued, on and on and on until the mysterious blonde vanished into the crowd.

###

Noriko sat on those steps for a long while staring at the mochi. Then, she placed the box on the ground and slowly loosened the rosary from her wrist, balling it up and shoving it into her back pocket.

Leaving the mochi on the ground, Noriko stood and walked back up the stairs. Like she had been submerged in deep waters for far too long, the brunette gasped once her feet reached the subway exit.

She zipped up her jacket and aimlessly walked down the street. _So much for love,_ she thought. So much for thinking love was the gold which filled the cracks of one existence and enhanced its value. So much for thinking Takuya was right – that by giving Noriko the rosary, Shimako was requesting an oath which would bind the two together.

 _"_ _This is my heart, and it belongs to you."_ The sentence echoed in Noriko's head, the sound of Shimako's voice still making her heart skip a beat – her feelings yet to be aligned with her thoughts, the disarray making it hard to breath.

Noriko reached for the inhaler inside her jacket, she took a hit.

She stopped at a crossing, and she watched the green traffic light turn yellow then red before crossing the road. She kept on walking, hands hidden deep inside her front pocket, she took in the bright lights against the dark night sky, she let sounds in, she watched people walk by, and it was terrifying to realize that while her world had stopped spinning everyone else's seemed to still rotate in perfect order.

Turning into an alleyway filled with small restaurants and bars, she picked the one which only had a tiny sign painted by hand in front of its sliding doors – homemade noodles, the sign read – and she walked in, sliding the door shut behind her.

The brunette took a seat at the counter, and when the owner of the restaurant, a guy in his fifties, walked up to the counter from the kitchen, Noriko looked at the man and stumbled with her words, "Gokigen—" she stopped mid-word, clearing her throat before correcting herself with a "Konbanwa, may I have hot sake, please."

"Hai," the man responded and walked back into the kitchen.

When he returned, he placed the tokkuri and a round sake glass in front of Noriko before asking her if she wanted a bowl of noodles, "Food might warm you up, kiddo," he added with a fatherly tone.

"I'll take the noodles with soup," Noriko answered, pouring herself the sake, then slowly taking a small sip of the warm drink.

"How about a bowl of ramen?" the chef asked.

"That'll be fine."

"Tonkotsu okay?"

"Yes…"

"You sure?"

"I'll eat whatever, thank you." _I wonder what made him think I'm a picky eater..._

 _I wonder what made Shimako think I'm a picky eater…_

Noriko poured herself another glass of the sake.

 _I wonder what made her lie to me, trusting me with something that was supposed to be so fucking important to her, to then turn around and ki—_

"Here," the older man's voice cut through Noriko's thought.

"You can't go wrong with beer and ramen," he popped the bottle cap with the opener attached to his keys and poured Noriko a glass, "This one is on me."

"Thank you," she responded softly, finishing the last of her hot sake before moving to the cold beer.

After a while the chef appeared again, placing the large bowl of ramen in front of Noriko and topping off her beer for her.

"Itadakimasu," she said softly, clasping her hands together, then breaking apart the chopsticks and dunking them into the soup before bringing the noodled into her mouth with a loud slurp.

She looked at the man standing in front of her, "Delicious," she said seriously, "the broth is rich and the noodles perfectly al-dente," she finished politely.

"Thank you very much," he responded, then chuckled a bit to himself, "…I didn't think Lillian girls were able to slurp like that!"

Noriko froze in place for a long second, examining the chef's face, then she sat the chopsticks atop of her bowl and reached for the beer, "I'm not a Lillian alumna," she shot dryly.

"Oh…I see… I see… I'm sorry for assuming. It's… I know many Lillian girls, who try as they might, can't rid themselves of that outdated greeting. They say it's like a terrible curse."

"A curse, huh?" Noriko asked.

"Hai."

"Like never forgetting a first love?"

"I'd say yes, something along those lines," he answered awkwardly.

"Then I might be damned."

When Noriko stumbled out of the restaurant, she thanked the chef once more for the food and as she slid the door shut, "Gokigenyou," escaped from her lips.


	28. Kerosene

A/N: Hello!

Although not very graphic, there is a scene in this chapter where I thought it might have gotten close to the M-rated line, so if you think this needs to be rated M, let me know and I will re-publish it separately.

I also have a second part to this chapter (the smut is strong with that one, so it will have to be published separately).

Hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. *insert silly grin here*

Thank you for reading!

* * *

I walked up to the bar for the second time that night, and there she was, tall, long blonde hair, in a black dress which grabbed on to the best of her curves –not that she had any bad curves. She sat there with her legs crossed, and I could see the whiteness of her thighs several inches above her knees.

Sei was sitting by her so I stepped toward the counter, wrapped my arms around Rosa Gigantea and whispered in her ear.

"Good luck, Nana-chin," she said seriously before giving up her stool.

Satou Sei-sama was something else…

"Do you mind?" I asked when the girl finally looked at me. Then she nodded an okay and I sat by her.

"Can I get you another glass of wine?" I questioned, already getting the attention of the bartender. "Two Semillon, please," I requested when she approached me.

Mixing my liquors again; I knew better not to, but still, I couldn't think of any other drink to order other than the shitty light beer I had been sipping on earlier.

"Here you go, dear," The bartender sat the drinks in front of me, and when I handed her my credit card, she pointed at Sei-sama and said she had paid for that round. Smiling I thanked her and she walked away.

I took a deep breath, "So…" I started, and for a second the girl to my side looked at me like I was the only person in that bar, her entire body facing me when I pointed at Sei-sama and Youko-sama with my thumb, "What do you think of those two?" I chuckled.

I could smell her perfume from where I was sitting, but her laugh was what took my breath away, "Somebody is getting laid tonight," she said, and I laughed with her.

"How about them?" I pointed at Onee-sama and Rei-sama. She looked a them for a long while then back at me, "Somebody is getting laid tonight," she repeated herself, a wicked smile on her face, and incredible timing, as she had a front-row seat to the reddening of my face as I thought of my Onee-sama going down on Rei-sama.

She giggled again, perhaps she knew what I was picturing in my head.

I tried to keep things light. Being a terrible flirt, I was under-qualified for such a monstrous job of keeping that Amazon Warrior entertained. Second-guessing myself I tried another strategy, "Do you live in this area?"

"As a matter of fact, I walked here," she answered.

We spoke for a long time before Sei-sama approached us and asked if we wanted to join their table, I waited for her to respond before following her to the corner where the others were gathered. We laughed with our friends for a long while, and that entire night she only left my side to use the restroom.

How incredible it was to have been able to laugh with her as her legs pressed against mine in that cramped booth. And I thought, _I could get used to this_ , every time her fingers touched my forearm when she addressed me.

We sat there and watched, one by one, the Yamayurikai girls say their goodbyes until it was just her and me at that booth. And although I didn't want to leave her, it was time to let her go.

So, I told her it was getting late, though instead of letting me finish my sentence –the one I was dreading all night– she invited me over, "I just moved into my apartment and there are boxes everywhere, but I really don't want this night to end… quite yet."

Of course I obliged. I accepted the invitation in a heartbeat… like a fucking child who had just been asked if they wanted to go to the park.

I walked to the bar to settle the bill from the two drinks we had after the others had left and then I walked back toward the booth to find her running her fingers around the rim of the wineglass.

"Ready?" I said and watched her stand up, a smile tugging at her lips, then she took me by the hand, and without saying a word, we grabbed out coats and walked out of the bar.

She lived two blocks south of where we were drinking, and during those five minutes we strolled side-by-side, I prayed that Maria-sama added twenty more miles to our walk. Nevertheless, too soon, that stroll ended in front of an apartment complex. She fished her keys from her pocket and opened the gate, allowing me to walk in first.

Like it was a dream I let her take me by the hand and lead me up the stairs. Step after step I watched her calves extending and contracting, her hamstrings doing the same; once in a while she'd look back at me smiling, and that entire time a voice in my head repeated: "she's drunk, she's drunk, she's drunk."

But I was drunk, too – that made things even, right?

She led me up three flights of stairs and as she unhooked her fingers from mine –so she could unlock and open her door – I immediately missed the warmth of her skin against mine.

"Don't mind the boxes," she said, turning on the light.

I stepped in, the small, one-bedroom apartment was spacious even though several boxes, neatly stacked and labeled, took over a great part of the living room.

"The bathroom is around the corner over here," she pointed toward the hallway while she took my coat and hung it by the door, and I thanked her making myself comfortable on her couch, "Your apartment is nice," I told her awkwardly… I had never been invited to someone's home like that before and it clearly showed.

She plugged in her phone so it would charge, then reached for the breakfast bar, turning on a wireless speaker and after two or three swipes I heard music playing. Then, like I wasn't even sitting there, she danced as she grabbed a bottle of wine from her fridge, opened it and poured two glasses – I had never seen that label anywhere before, then again I wasn't a wine drinker by a long shot.

So I quietly watched her sway her way back to the living room holding on to the wineglasses. She stood right in front of me and I looked up at her, then she smiled and there was not enough air in that room to fill up my lungs.

She handed me one of the glasses, and instead of sitting by me, she walked toward the sliding doors leading to the balcony, opening the blinds. The city lights were like bright dots in a dark canvas, and she watched them intently, silently. Every so often she'd take a drink, every so often I ached, envious of that wineglass.

After a while I joined her. Although it was late, the city looked alive; headlights on the freeway coming and going incessantly; I could still see open signs blinking red and blue on her street, and if you listened carefully, there was chattering, too. I was mesmerized by the lights, I was enchanted by the woman standing by me.

She unfolded her arms from across her chest, looking at me, and I smiled clumsily, one side of my mouth up and the other down – a terrible impulse I had acquired once I joined the Yamayurikay.

Then as she inhaled in preparation to say something, I stepped closer to her, the distance between us barely existent at that point. She said nothing, she did nothing; she let me lead.

I proceeded to grab the glass from her hand, sitting both hers and mine on the floor. I inched forward slowly, assuming that if she didn't want my lips on hers, she'd say something. My hands were shaking when they finally landed on her cheek; my cold fingers burned against her warm skin.

I breathed in and held that breath.

I kissed her.

And my heart exploded inside my chest.

Were those the fireworks some speak of? If so, I finally understood.

Wrapping my arms around her waist I took another step forward and I pressed her back against the wall. In my haste I didn't notice the light switch, which jabbed her on the side and clicked off.

She clearly didn't care, because instead of turning the light back on, she let me continue to press my lips against hers, and I didn't know if the wine I tasted was from what I had been drinking or what she had – and to say I cared was a lie.

I could still see her face in the dimmed light of her living room. Since the drapes had been opened, I could still see everything, including the smile on her face when our lips finally parted ways.

Had anyone, in the history of mankind wanted her more than I did?

I thought not.

So I pressed forth, with the conviction my trembling fingers could convey the torrent of feelings I had.

I lifted her dress up. Trying to ignore the black panties she was wearing for the time being, one of my hands crossed the vastness of her stomach slowly, trying not to miss an inch of skin in the process.

She closed her eyes at my touch and I wondered if she saw more than darkness: I wondered if she saw the perennial love in which my fingers awarded her skin with.

When I withdrew my hand from her stomach, her eyes re-opened, and I took that as an invitation. Reaching behind her back, I carefully brought her zipper down and watched her dress fall to her feet; the city lights bathing her skin in silver.

 _My God!_ I thought, and I'm pretty sure those words came out of my mouth as well.

One of my hands rested on her hip, the other, jealous of the one touching her, landed on her back; working together they brought her closer to me if that was even physically possible.

I breathed her in – the best shot of courage I had ever taken.

While one of my hands held her hips tightly against mine, the other made its way up, through the strong bones of a spine that went on forever, until I landed on the clasp her bra. My inexperience and clumsiness kept me from trying to open it –one handed; whom was I trying to fool?

Instead, I used the band as a guide, crossing her back; ever so slightly, running my fingers across the side of her body to finally reach the basis of her breast.

I pressed on as asking for her forgiveness would just reiterate the accidental touch.

My fingers reached the other side quicker than I was expecting –than she was expecting as she gasped.

She gasped!

Was I allowed to go on?

If it were a dream, I'd reason I had permission.

And that night might as well had been a dream.

I reached back around her, with both hands, to unclasp her bra, then my hands descended while my lips covered her chest then her stomach with kisses, bringing me to my knees.

Her hands found a home in my hair.

She looked amazing with her head tossed back, her chest raising and lowering quickly, and right then I had finally realized what I was afraid was right all along: she could've done better.

She could have done a million times better.

I looked at her, I slowed down on the kisses; I breathed her in.

I was a loser.

Who lacked the most primary social skills, who was terrified of making a fool out of themselves around her and around their friends; a kid who lucked out terribly and ended up in front of a goddess.

I didn't realized I was staring…

"Hi," I said – and berated myself for being such an idiot.

"Hi," she responded – a miracle, I thought.

I kept staring as she got on her knees with me.

I kept staring as she reached for my lips with hers.

And my mind exploded.

Was she really that drunk?

Or better yet, had she not had enough to drink?

"Are you su—"

Her lips crashed into mine yet again and I breathed in the "sure" from her mouth.

###

It was funny that in a bar full of people I wondered who the girl in the black dress with long blonde hair was, and for a second I thought that perhaps it would have been nice to buy her a drink, ask for her name, then say, "I've never seen you here before." Maybe that would have sparked a conversation, maybe she'd be nice, single, and maybe she'd think I was nice, too. Maybe I'd fall in love and she'd be the right person at the right time.

It was funny that I thought that way.

It was funny that out of all of the people there, the girl who caught my attention was none other than Shizuka Kanina; the blonde hair throwing me for a loop – even though I was told multiple times that Shizuka-sama was known for these drastic changes in style.

Standing by the entrance, my feet anchored to the ground, I watched her stand up; she must have seen me from where she was because she looked straight at me and smiled. And, by Gosh, that smile floored me even more.

I must admit that I had underestimated how beautiful she really was.

My heart fluttered.

"Hey Nana!" she said, walking toward me, and I let her crush me in a hug which in my juvenile imagination lasted longer than what it should have. She smelled of booze, the scent invading my nostrils when her lips pressed against mine lightly, "Ciao!" she said.

Those Goddam Italians and their intimate greetings –way too intimate for my liking.

From my mouth, her lips traveled up to my ear and she whispered, "Glad you could make it."

As she loosened her grip around me and began to turn toward the bar, my arms wrapped around her waist, bringing her closer to me for another long second. She obliged, or perhaps simply humored me, –she thought I was a child, after all– my nose buried in her neck, her perfume was all I could smell until her hair grazed my cheek and I caught the scent of her shampoo. That trifecta of booze, freshly washed hair, and perfume, was heavenly to say the least.

How long had it been since I had seen her last? Eight months, a year perhaps? I wasn't sure anymore, all I knew was that though she had made it clear that my advances were in her eyes immature, I had missed her terribly.

She held my hand and took me to the corner of the bar where I greeted the girls, "Gokigenyou," I said, then made a mental note to ask Shimako-sama why Noriko-san wasn't there. She'd know; ever since our trip to the amusement park, they seemed to have grown closer. I really wanted Shizuka-sama to meet Noriko – they'd get along just fine.

Yoshino-sama handed me a beer and I sat at the bar, Shizuka-sama did the same, taking a seat by me so she could also be close to Shimako-sama.

Then she turned to me and said she was afraid I wasn't going to show up.

"I've missed you," I answered, and I immediately felt the flush on my cheeks. I'm sure Shimako-sama heard me, too.

I didn't care.

I reached for Shizuka-sama's hand, "You look lovely tonight," I spilled out.

That one I'm sure Shimako-sama heard, because she smiled kinda clumsily to herself. Not wanting to stare at me, Rosa Gigantea looked inside her drink, like the ice cubes inside that gin and tonic she was drinking were amusing somehow, then she turned her face toward the entrance like she had been expecting someone to walk in at any time.

I looked at Shizuka-sama again, my eyes glued to her lips when she smiled, "I've missed you, Nana," she said while my heart pounded in my throat.

There's something incredible about Shizuka-sama, a light that draws me toward her even when my mind fights against that current, and my heart leads the caravan with no helmet, holding no shield; desperately it marches forward toward that light – completely unaware of the consequences of reaching it.

Nevertheless, I retorted, "You don't have to say that just to be nice."

Then the back and forth continued:

"But I really missed you."

"Sure," I leaned my elbows on the counted and chug half of my beer.

"You stopped writing…"

I looked at her, "You told me to," I said.

"I didn't."

"I still have that postcard, Shizuka-sama."

"I was simply asking you not to make things more difficult for yourself."

I stopped the pint mid-way between the counter and my lips, turning to face her, my eyes finding hers. I stared at her for a long while. Silently, I studied the shape of her face, the way her lips slightly parted when she realized I turned to acknowledge her, "More difficult?" I asked at last, then shook my head and went back to my beer.

"You're…"

"Too young, yeah, I know."

"Too good for me."

I laughed and she continued, "I mean it. I'm terrible."

"Sure."

"And you are such a good kid."

"I might have been a kid when you met me, but you're terribly mistaken if you think I still am one. Plus, we're only three years apar—"

"Nana," she stopped me, "I wasn't expecting you to stop writing altogether," she admitted honestly.

I wanted to tell her that my stopping with the letters had absolutely nothing to do with my heart forgetting her – because the truth was I still wrote, but those letters were shoved in a box instead of being mailed to Italy – yet, I couldn't do it; I couldn't tell her that even though she thought of me as that 17-year-old girl she met on their birthday a few years ago, that girl couldn't help but want her in their arms every second of every day.

Shizuka-sama was right. She was terrible.

And yes, I am a nice girl, I can't help it. But if you'd asked Shimako-sama she'd say the same thing, it's not like we're trying to be good, we just happen to be that way.

"It was the best way I found to stop bothering you and hurting myself," I lied.

"Take this!" Yoshino-sama cut into our conversation, shoving a shot in front of my face, and I tossed it down, no chaser needed. Onee-sama spoke with me for a little bit until Rei-sama called her from about three stools down.

Then I stood and the shot I took hit me in the face. _Beer before liquor, never sicker_ , was all I could think of…

"Where are you going?" Shizuka-sama asked.

"I'm not running away quite yet," I said in my most sardonic voice, trying to annoy her.

While walking to the restroom I saw Sei-sama and Youko-sama step into the bar, hand-in-hand they approached me; Youko-sama hugged me first, then Sei-sama.

"You ready for the grand-finale?" Sei asked.

Rosa Gigantea knew. Like Buddha, she senses those things. It's weird to think about the first time she asked me so openly and without a drop of shame if I liked Shizuka-sama. When I honestly answered, "I love her," Sei-sama smiled big and said that loving someone like Shizuka-sama was an awful decision. I remember Sei-sama saying, "She's not going to break your heart, she'll just let it whither away…"

And Sei-sama was right.

That woman _was_ Buddha.

"This kid is ready, Sei-Sama," I said, ready for the hara-kiri of my heart which had been in captivity for far too long.

When I came back from the restroom Sei was sitting where I had been, and since I hadn't sobered up quite yet from the shot Onee-sama had given me, I stopped behind Sei-sama and whispered in her ear, "It's show time," and just like that, Sei-sama stood, said something to Shizuka-sama and gave me her seat.

Shizuka-sama was still smiling when she looked at me.

I pointed at the chair, "Do you mind?" I asked, like the conversation we had had previously had never happened.

She shook her head no, so I sat down.

"Can I get you another glass of wine?" I questioned, already getting the attention of the bartender. "Two Semillon, please," I requested when she approached me.

Mixing my liquors again; I knew better not to, but still, I couldn't think of any other drink to order other than the shitty light beer I had been sipping on.

I looked around while waiting for the drinks. Shimako-sama had joined Yumi-sama and Sachiko-Sama at a booth – the perks of hanging out at one of her father's restaurants. It was incredible, though, to see Sachiko-sama interacting with the staff; she knew them by name, and for a split second I wondered if in another life she had worked there, and learned how to mix drinks with the bartenders during afterhours. It would've been fun to watch her, in all of her propriety, mix a dirty martini.

Youko-sama sat on Sei's lap, Onee-sama and Rei-sama laughed at whatever story Sei-sama was telling.

"Here you go, dear," The bartender sat the drinks in front of me and when I handed her my credit card, she pointed at Sei-sama and said she had paid for that round.

Buddha.

I took a deep breath, "So…"

###

I'm in the corner of fourth and another street I don't even know how to pronounce. This is punishment for not looking up at least once while I ran, but if I did, then I'd remember these streets and I'd be lured back to her place.

Not knowing where I am makes things much easier in the long run. It's the best way to go about things, Nana.

Yes, it is.

Maybe if I jump in a cab right now, this fear I'll remember the name of the bars and restaurants here would dissipate. Maybe if I sing a song I'll forget the name of that bank across the road, and the donut shop over here to the left.

I want so badly to close my eyes tightly enough I can teleport to my bedroom right now.

But there's none of that, and here's fifth street and Northwest Highway.

I should call a cab, or better yet, summon a ride share, that way I don't have to tell them my exact location, because truthfully I wouldn't really know. And maybe after they drop me off, they could use one of those MIB mind-eraser sticks on me and my memories of last night would be gone.

It would be nice if they could erase all of the memories of her from my mind, too, because out of all of the things that confuse me the most, her face is ranked number one.

Since the first day I met her, it has been that way; for some strange reason she has this unbelievable ability to short-circuit my brain. And she does it like it's nothing, like it's just another thing she's good at without even trying to be.

She's like that, though: good at everything she does, and it pisses me the fuck off that she is so goddam good at everything! She's an amazing singer, a natural runner, good at card games, outdrinks me at any given night. She's smart, speaks three languages fluently, is soft-spoken, sympathetic, relatable – everything you'd expect from a Lillian alumna.

And she's gorgeous.

Of course she is, because if she weren't, then perhaps I'd have a fucking chance.

Fuck it. I'll sit here at this bench and stare at the cars driving by, hoping this existential crisis my heart is having won't last much longer.

I could blame Eriiko-sama for all of this, but it would be such a childish way of seeing things. The fact that I fell in love with Shizuka-sama has absolutely nothing to do with the fact Eriiko-sama is the reason why I met my Onee-sama.

These excuses are stupid, and I'm not that big of a coward to not take responsibility for the choices of my own heart.

"Fuck!" I say softly inside my hands when the tears blur my vision. And with the tears come this torrent of unexplained feeling, this desperation that corrodes my heart, this hollowness inside of me, the emptiness that comes after the night I had dreamed of for so long.

The last postcard she had sent me from Italy read: You're too young to love me.

I remember finishing the letter I sent her before receiving that postcard with a P.S.:

 _I saw a picture of you, Shimako-sama, and Sei-sama today. You looked wonderful. Know that I am always thinking about you._

And even after that jab, my heart wouldn't waver; Shizuka Kanina was the woman of my dreams.

And I still remember the first time I wrote her.

Shimako-sama had kindly given me Shizuka-sama's address and to say I'll forever be indebted to Rosa Gigantea for that is an incredible understatement. Plus, reaching out to Shimako-sama turned out to be the best thing I could have done back then. Much like Yoshino-sama and Rei-sama, Shimako-sama became an indispensible person in my life.

I'll owe that woman forever and ever.

It's strange to think that without Shizuka-sama I would have never reached out to Shimako-sama. And without Shimako-sama, I wouldn't have been able to send Shizuka-sama all of the letters I had so reverently written her.

But the first one, the first time I sat down and wrote: _Dear Shizuka-sama,_ on a piece of college-ruled filler paper, my heart fluttered like it had never before.

It was the first time I realized I wasn't invincible.

Over and over again her smile reminded me that winning was something I couldn't do around her. And if losing meant that swell in my chest and the butterflies in my stomach, then I'd lose as many times as I could. If losing meant getting caught staring at her then be it, because all I wanted to do was to watch her lips move when she spoke and her eyes spark when she laughed.

 _Shizuka-sama._

I wipe the tears from my cheeks, my eyes swollen, my face red, then I lean back on the bench and look up at the clear sky.

I exhale a long breath. My chest protests.

The first time I wrote her, I told her about school, about my new friends, about Onee-sama and about my search for a petite soeur. I told her about trying to acquire a taste for that white wine she likes so much, and about the fact it was easier for me to drink it if I thought of her. Though what I really wanted to tell her, but couldn't, was that maybe I'd like the drink better if I could taste it in her tongue. Though, thinking back now, even if I had told her that, even if I had openly professed my feelings for her, she'd still think of me as a joke.

She'd find a clever way to say I couldn't fall in love with someone like her. She'd try to protect my heart by laying me down easy, saying I was too special and that I deserved more than what she could give me.

For years she, ever so delicately, tip-toed around my feelings, keeping me at arm's length when where I wanted to be was pressed against her ribs.

Rosa Canina should be a black rose.

I fish my phone from my back pocket, somehow the battery's life is still at 15 percent. I open up the ride share app and I request a ride.

Then I cancel it.

I cry again.

A torrent of tears cascade down my face and try as I might, I can't stop them. I gasp for air, a cough comes out as well. My chest burns and I am in a way glad that it's Sunday morning and there are no pedestrians around this area, because if someone saw me right now, they'd think something terrible has happened to me. If I were approached by anyone right now, telling them that my heart had been ripped from my chest and thrown out somewhere would probably not be the answer they'd expect to hear.

Though that's how I feel.

And I take responsibility for thinking that I could be casual about this when I ended up being nothing but her casualty.

I take responsibility for walking into the bar last night knowing very well she'd be there.

Knowing very well she'd be nice to me.

Knowing very well she didn't love me.

I take responsibility for letting her take me by the hand and walk me to her living room.

I take responsibility for kissing her, for undressing her, for running my fingers across her bare skin.

I take responsibility for letting the enemy kill me before I could perform my seppuku.

My heart died last night with no honor, sloshed, and in shame.

She was right all along, I'm too young to love her.

Though, she could have broken my heart face-to face instead of leaving her own house like she did this morning, with the coffee maker filled with water, its lid open, the filter neatly placed in its chamber, but no coffee grounds in it.

I guess I wasn't worth the morning talk…

I reach for my phone again. The battery's at 12 percent now. If I don't summon a ride, I'll be stranded here.

I lean back once more, at least the sun is not scorching hot. I close my eyes. I'll request a ride in a minute, it's not like I have anywhere to be today.

After a long while I feel someone sit by me. I don't move, we can share the bench without talking, right?

And what if they think I'm crazy?

I am crazy!

"Were you going to leave without saying anything?"

The question catches me off guard. The voice which carries the question reverberates inside my head, and for a second I think I'm dreaming.

But then I open my eyes, look to the side, and there she is, in jean-shorts and a blue zip-up hoodie, a paper carrier holding two cups in one hand, a plastic bag with the logo of the donut place behind us in the other.

"You were, weren't you?" She asks again, her voice sounds terrifying.

"I woke up and you weren't home, I thought…" I trail off, I had never seen her look so worried.

"Did you not see the sticky on the door?" Her voice cracked, and for the first time I hear the Italian she had been speaking for years pepper her Japanese.

I shake my head no. In a rush, I left without really looking at anything. If there was a post-it on the door I completely oversaw it.

"I ran out of coffee," she said quietly, "I didn't want to wake you up…"

I reach for one of the cups she was holding, and much like the first time we shared a drink in Sei's apartment, she lets me.

Hot, black coffee coats my mouth, the freshly brewed nectar of the Gods warms me up instantly. I close my eyes for a second then reopen them, and look at her – just to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

"I used your toothbrush," I say taking another sip of the coffee.

"Nana," she responds in all seriousness.

"…"

"Can we talk… at my place?"

"So you can tell me what happened last night can't happen again? So you can tell me I I'm too young to understand these things?" I ask looking straight at her. She sits there quietly and I proceed, "You were right, okay? You've been right all along. I'm completely out of your league, and I don't' know what made me think you could consider me when you can have anyone you wa—!"

"Shut up!" she interrupts, "You said you've liked me for so long, and it took me being stern with you once to make you stop trying… And don't act like you didn't see all of the heads you turned last night, you're unbelievably charming! You're kindhearted and awfully bright, too… For a long time I thought you'd forget about me, that those letters you had written me would become a burden to you when you realized you were never really in love with me… Waiting for that letter – the one you'd tell me you had found someone else – became a terrible game I played," Shizuka-sama says those words, and I keep looking at the ground trying to process all of it, but then she says my name, wanting me to look at her, "Sorry I didn't trust you..." she reaches for my hand before continuing, "I'm sorry It took me all of this time to realize _I_ was the child. And now here I am, trying with all of my might, to come up with the right words to tell you I love you."

I don't remember when I started to cry again, but I watch her wipe the tears rolling down my face with her thumb. Then I stand up, offering my hand to her and she takes it.

We walk back to her place.


	29. Your Own Disaster

A/N: Hello!

I was called a tease for posting last chapter before this one, which made me chuckle - whoever you are, thank you for making me laugh! :)

Can you believe we're finally almost done with this story? Thank you for sticking around!

* * *

Sei had parked the beetle in the garage and pulled three grocery bags from the yellow car before she walked up the stairs. Her front door opened and closed, then without turning on the lights, she walked to the kitchen, placing the groceries atop of the counter. She sighed a long breath, one that said she was happy to finally be home.

Then she reached for the light switch by the fridge and when she glanced at the semi-lit living room, Sei gasped, "Holy shit, Youko!"

"You gave me a key…" the brunette answered calmly.

"Yeah, but I didn't think you'd come in and just sit there in the dark!"

Youko reached for the glass of whine in front of her, then leaned back on the large recliner, swirling the red drink then taking a long sip before saying, "I was waiting for you."

"Because..." Sei tried to help Youko's sentence development.

"Because, I had an interesting conversation with a ghost today."

"You're killing me here, Youko… Did you talk to Eriiko? She pregnant?"

"I spoke with Eriiko yesterday, do you not remember that conversation?"

"She wasn't pregnant yesterday, but she could be today. I'm rooting for Yamanobe-san!"

"Sei!"

"Oh. Never mind! Jesus!"

Youko remained seated, quietly looking at Sei until the blonde's smile was no more, and she started to squirm, "Just tell me why you're so weird!"

"…"

"Youko…" Sei started again, "Did I do something wron—"

Youko interrupted with a "When was the last time you saw your petite soeur?"

Sei scratched the back of her head, leaving goofer feathers behind, "Shimako?" she asked.

"What other petite soeur do you have, Sei?"

"Heh…" Sei responded a bit awkwardly, then without much difficulty, she answered, "Ah! At the bar for Shizuka's homecoming!" although it had already been a couple of weeks since she saw her little sister.

"Right… And do you think she was doing okay?"

"Come to think of it, she was a little distracted…"

"Even with Shizuka there, she was definitely not very talkative, you're right."

"So? Shimako is quiet and sometimes she daydreams…"

Youko wanted to respond, "and so do you," but decided to refrain, Sei would only squirm even more if she had said anything of the like. Instead, Rosa Chinensis continued her enquiry, "And before that, when was the last time you saw Shimako-chan?"

"Dinner at Yumi's?"

"Right. And Shimako was?"

"I don't know, she was around Riko-chin?"

"Right…. When did you see Shimako before that?"

"Soccer at the park?"

"Right. And your petite soeur was?"

"Terribly trying to mark Rei?"

"True… but after that?"

"We went out for drinks, and she was there with Riko-chin and Nana-chin."

"How observant, Sei! So, before that, when did you see her last?"

"Uh…"

"…"

"…Uh… at the lake house, I think."

"Right… and Shimako was?"

"Everywhere?"

"True, but what happened on Friday night?"

"…The whisper rule disaster?"

"With?"

"Riko-chin? … what the heck, Youko..."

"No, hear me out, Sei. You're going to understand soon..."

"So that was Friday… What happened on Saturday?"

"We ate pancakes with Shimako, Yumi, and Nana, then Yoshino and Rei came down? Sachan and Riko came down super late?"

"Then?"

"We drank, all day?"

"Yeah, and Noriko-chan spent the whole day with you, right?"

"Yeah… because Yumi-chan was picking on her."

"And then what happened when Shimako went and talked to you guys at the dock?"

"Why do you ask?" Sei questioned with skepticism.

"…Because you were the only one there with them."

"Youko…"

"C'mon Satou Sei..."

Quietly, Sei responded, "They talked about the whisper rule…"

Youko placed the wineglass on the coffee table, then leaned back again, crossing her arms and looking at Sei. She knew she'd break eventually, and silence was the one thing Sei couldn't handle very well around Youko.

"…"

"They talked it out, like they should have."

"And?"

"And… I don't know, they kinda kissed or whatever."

"Ha!"

"What?!"

"So you knew all along!" Youko said with a smirk.

"It's not like that, Youko…"

Sei finally walked toward Youko, crossing the living room, then taking the wineglass, she finished the drink, placed the glass back on the coffee table, and sat on the recliner with Youko.

"It's way too early for us to be assuming things…" the blonde lied, knowing very well of Shimako's feelings.

To add that that mix, Noriko had become like a little sister to Sei, and the blonde knew how much Yumi also had grown fond of that kid. It was hard, however, to think about Shimako being romantically interested in anyone, even after she had left the cloister on her own accord, and even when that someone Shimako was interested in was Noriko. And although Sei had been watching that slow dance between the two girls she loved dearly, although she knew something was definitely going on with those two, Sei had decided to keep what she saw at Sachiko's, and the conversation she had with Shimako, as a secret for the time being.

The truth Sei was still hiding was that Shimako was at last allowing herself the luxury to let her heart lead the way.

"But, you're okay with Shimako's decision?"

"When have I become the judge of these things? Sei rebuked.

"When you gave Shimako your rosary."

"That's kind of unfair, don't you think?

"Only if _you_ think so… And knowing Shimako-chan, she'll seek your approval, Sei."

Youko watched the woman sitting on her legs take a long breath, though before Sei was able to say anything, Youko started, "She already did that, huh?"

"Hai," was the simple response the brunette received.

"…"

"You know Shimako… she does everything by the books. When she feels something she makes sure she is clear about those feelings. And since my petite soeur is the way she is, she wanted to make sure Noriko was clearly aware of her intentions, rosary and all."

Youko gasped, "Your onee-sama's rosary?!"

Sei simply nodded in response, leaving Youko to ask, "So Shim—" only to be interrupted by the blonde, who cupped Rosa Chinensis' cheek tenderly, and in doing so, completely melted the well-mannered girl's heart, "The heart wants what the heart wants. I've no right to criticize or chastise her for falling in love…"

"Sei…" Youko said, looking at the blonde with soft eyes.

Then Sei's serious face lightened up brightly and she asked, "She did good, huh?"

The two girls were similar in many ways, but also very different. While Shimako had been sheltered by her family and Lillian, Noriko had parents who exposed her to the real world, who wanted Noriko grow and make her own decisions. Even so, they both had grown up to be kind and caring.

"I think she did," Youko said, wanting to add that she also thought Shimako wouldn't pursue a relationship with anybody unless she was absolutely sure that their hearts were connected. Though, Youko didn't expand on her thoughts; instead, she said, "But there's a catch…"

"…"

"The ghost…"

"Oh…That's right," Sei said lightheartedly, but when Youko's expression remained stoic, the blonde started to worry, an emptiness taking over the pit of her stomach. _Had they ran away together?_ she wondered for a split second. Though, she knew they didn't have to. They had a circle of friends who would protect and fight for them; girls who in a heartbeat would drop everything they were doing and go to their rescue. There was no need to run away; there was no need to hide their feelings from their friends.

"What did this ghost tell you?" Sei finally asked.

###

A mixture of feelings made Noriko's heart flutter. And it was incredibly difficult to describe that heaviness, that anxiety that started in the pit of her stomach, traveled up her chest, reaching her throat but dying there, stuck, begging to explode into a scream she couldn't expel; she swallowed it instead.

When she walked into a restaurant tucked in a corner of a strip mall, the brunette looked for Nana, first by the booths stuck to the wall, then by the tables toward the end of the place, finally by the bar, and right then, when she looked across the room, leaning against the counter and holding on to a stemless glass of white wine: her.

Her. With the long blonde hair and the side-swept bangs which slightly covered one of her eyes, and Noriko watched that woman flip her head ever so slightly to remove the stubborn hair from her face.

Her. With the long legs wrapped tightly into a pair of black jeans, and the white, not-so-buttoned down shirt that allowed anyone with eyes to see the lacy black bra she wore.

Her. Whom Noriko didn't know, but hated for being the one Shimako kissed, how long ago? _Two weeks, three days,_ Noriko looked at her watch, _twenty hours ago._

And the need for that scream burgeoned again, reverberating in Noriko's chest, thrashing inside her gut like an obnoxious child throwing a tantrum at a supermarket because mom wouldn't buy the sugary cereal they wanted.

It took Noriko all of her strength not to yell. Fists balled up, she watched the woman for a long while as she ran her fingers around the rim of the wineglass, looking down seriously, until a hand slowly ran across her back and when she turned, Noriko saw that somber face light up, a smile reaching her lips, her eyes never leaving the girl standing by her.

And the perpetrator of that miracle was none but Arima Nana.

It was then that Noriko's world collapsed.

"Ah! Noriko-san!" Nana waived her over.

Whether she walked or floated toward her friend made no difference and she didn't care,

"Shizuka-sama, Noriko-san. Noriko-san, Shizuka-sama," Noriko heard between the buzzing inside her head.

"I'm so happy I finally get to meet you, Noriko," the melodious voice, ever so engaged, came out of: her.

Shizuka Kanina was her: incredibly sweet, caring, charismatic, energetic, and completely and utterly head-over-heels for that tiny spitfire standing by her side, so eager to introduce Shizuka to her friend.

"It's a pleasure meeting you," Noriko somehow managed out, and the woman stood, wrapping her arms around the brunette and holding her tightly, then as if it was something she did often, she pressed her lips against Noriko's, "The pleasure is mine!"

"Beer?" Nana asked, unfazed by what had just transpired, "They have that Hefeweizen you like..."

Dragging a stool from underneath the bar counter, Noriko nodded a yes, pulling her cellphone from her pocket and quickly texting Sumireko. Then, she stared at the countertop: solid wood, a dark stain hiding years of use. And finally, she addressed Shizuka, "You look nothing like your pictures from Lillian."

"That uniform added ten pounds to my figure," Rosa Canina smiled, "I don't miss it at all."

Rosa Canina sounded like a Lillian maiden, but didn't carry herself as one any longer. It wasn't that she was trying to rebel against the norms; Italy had in a way freed her from the box she had placed herself in while in Tokyo.

Noriko scrutinized the girl sitting by her, the "Thank you very much," along with the sincere smile she gave the barkeep when the guy placed three drinks in front of them, the giggles when Nana spoke of her onee-sama's temper, and the way Rosa Canina watched Nana laugh, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, her eyes, glued to Nana's lips; the way the older girl's gaze followed Nana when she stood and walked toward the entrance of the bar to go meet Touko and Kanako.

"Shimako speaks incredibly highly of you, Noriko. She likes you. A lot, it seems." Shizuka noted when her eyes finally left Nana.

"She's too kind, that's all," Noriko started, though she couldn't look at Shizuka when she continued, "I've never met anyone like her before…"

"Noriko…" Shizuka requested the girl's full attention before proceeding, "You should talk to her… She misses you."

"Shizuka-sama…"

"Whatever happened between you two to have made you distance yourself… It's not doing neither you nor her any good."

"How—"

"She's saved my life uncountable times, the kid is my best friend and I must admit, Noriko, the letters she sent me didn't do justice to the way she speaks of you; the way she smiles when she says your name..."

In many ways Shizuka was one of the few people who understood what Shimako meant when she spoke so reverently of Noriko. And it took a carnival of words to describe that yielding for wholeness, that urge to flourish from all of the layers of solitude in her heart just to turn around and give herself entirely to Noriko.

"The way she stumbled with her words –in a way I had never seen the always so articulate Rosa Gigantea do before– while telling me it took all of her might to take those four steps she took leading to you the night she…" Shizuka trailed off, well aware Noriko knew exactly what she was referring to. "And let me tell you, she wouldn't have done it if she wasn't absolutely sure she loved you – not that she had fallen for you, because falling is easy; standing in love… that's the difficult part. — If you haven't realized it yet, she has asked you to stand with her. So, I'm sure since you love her, too, you won't fuck it up, right?" Rosa Canina finished, taking a sip of her wine and then standing, "Yo!" she shouted toward the door.

Touko walked in, hand-in-hand with Kanako.

Nana followed them.

"Whooooa! Where are you going?!" Touko said when Noriko sprinted by her.

"I… gotta go."

###

Before meeting up with Nana, Noriko had walked out of her classroom, falling into step with a couple of her friends. Spring had finally sprung, the colors which had been gone forever were finally vivid again. And much like the brightness that comes after the dull of a long winter, Noriko was starting to feel her heart beat again, like the sun was at last melting all of the snow that buried the brunette deep in the hole she had dug with her own hands.

The avoiding game had begun as soon as spring semester started. Lunches had become a solitary arrangement, deep in a corner of the Physical Science faculty break room – the perks of helping with Dr. Tanaka's supplemental instruction program. Then there was the agonizing dodging of questions from Yumi every time the two met:

"Why are you not coming tonight? There's no way Shimura-sama is making you work this hard!"

"Nana is making lasagna, you're not coming?"

"We have about fifteen bottles of wine, you're not coming?"

"I can't believe you haven't met Shizuka-sama yet! Why are you hiding?"

All of the questions, the face-to-face requests to hang out from Yumi, the phone calls and text messages from everyone else – Sei even coming down to Sumireko's to talk to the brunette. It was hard to have and have not; to have had it and had lost it.

It was hard; living with the thought of that girl – no, that woman; Shimako was a woman and Noriko knew it very well; too well, that is. From the sighs to the thrusting, and the begging, and the bed-sheets between their fingers, Shimako was a woman all right – who had led Noriko to think she could change the way she perceived the world, colors, shapes, scents, everything Noriko could see, and smells, and touch, and feel.

Noriko's world had been shaken like a warm can of beer that she unknowingly cracked open. And though things were getting a bit better, it was still hard to think at that time that her heart would ever feel that way toward another; that the butterflies would want to explode out of her chest once again; that she would hold her breath as long as she could in exchange for someone else's smile.

One day it was bound to happen again; however, and maybe those beginnings and endings would unavoidably happen several other times in her lifetime as she evolved, changed, transformed into a different Nijou Noriko. And maybe that new her would stumble upon another great picture-worthy moment when a girl – or a boy – would cross her path and force her to do a double-take from across the room, the street, the flower path.

Noriko chuckled at her classmate's stupid joke.

And she inhaled deeply through her nose; holding that cool spring air inside her lungs for a long while before exhaling.

She was on her way out the gates, headed toward the bus stop when she heard a voice calling her name from behind her, and for a split second the ground was covered with snow once more – Noriko felt the cold of that winter day reach her bones.

Realizing Noriko wasn't going to stop, Shimako ran, "Hey! Hey, hey, hey!"

"…"

"Riko," Shimako started, the voice making Noriko's chest tighten, "Did I do something wrong?"

"I'm kinda in a hurry…" Noriko kept on walking.

"You haven't talked to me in weeks, Riko! I wish you'd tell me why…" Shimako said a bit out of breath, but it did the job, Noriko halted her steps and turned around, "Nothing has happened, I've nothing to tell you."

"But…"

"Shimako-san…" Noriko started, a whirlwind blowing the branches of the trees westbound, "Whatever it is you think this…" Noriko pointed at Shimako then at herself before continuing, "… is; it's not," the lie hitting her own chest like a heavy hammer. Nevertheless, she continued, "If you think we're anything other than acquaintances who fucked once because we were bored, you're completely wrong."

"That's not fair, Riko." Shimako whispered.

"…"

"Why would you lie after everything you told me at the lake house? At your parents house? Why would you accept my rosary after I explained how important it was to me, and why I wanted you to have it?"

"Shimako-san…" Noriko started softly, "It's what people do… all the time – and I'm sure you're guilty of this, too – they meet, they fuck, they move on… These expectations people have of love, companionship; of one and only, that's bullshit! Did you really think this could become something more than infatuation? Thankfully Sei is the only person who knows about what happened between us… Now, if you could, please, excuse me. I'm gonna be late."

"You can't be serious! Riko, please," Shimako said, reaching for Noriko's hand, the simple touch making the brunette gasp, "There must be an explanation…"

"You did nothing wrong, Shimako-san… Please, let me go."

"But I—"

"Let go of me!"

"Is that what you really want, Noriko?" Shimako asked with tears in her eyes.

"…"

The older girl raised her voice, "Tell me!"

"…"

"Is this really what you want? For me to walk away from your life like that? With no real explanation from you? Because if that is really what you need from me, I'll do it. I'll leave. You won't hear from me. Just know that I know you're lying. Whoever put this idea in your head that what we had was nothing doesn't know how much I—… how much my heart longs for you since that day we spent at the amusement park. You alone completely destroyed all of the insecurities I had about leaving Hokkaido, about moving back. By leaving the Cloister I thought I had lost everything, and by losing all I had, I was able to find you."

"…"

Shimako lifted her arms up, entwining her fingers before resting her palms atop of her head. She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath then looked at Noriko again, gray orbs full of tears, she spoke through clenched teeth, before walking away, "Gokigenyou, Noriko-san."

###

Aimlessly, Noriko walked out of the bar. She had been in that area before a handful of times, though she still wasn't familiar with those streets, so she walked quickly through intersections, taking a turn here and there, and when her feet finally complained, she slowed down, looking up for the first time.

With a knot in her throat, she walked into a restaurant and sat by the bar. She then ordered a glass of water and a drink, "Vodka, please."

Then after chugging the water and downing the shot she put a few bills under one of the empty glasses and walked out.

She watched cars drive by for a long time before crossing the street and headed up the road. Noriko crossed a bridge and kept on walking up a steep hill, and as she reached the top, her legs turned into a parking lot on their own will; when she finally stopped, she was inside the isle of an old church.

Right in front of Noriko, Jesus-sama was, eyeing the reverse Christian standing in His house. She thought of Shimako's choice of joining the Cloister because of that guy stuck to the cross, then she though of Shimako's choice to leave that place. Noriko sat on one of the back pews, and looked around the walls of that sacred house, the mosaic windows with portraits of the Via Crucis; one by one, Noriko studied all 14 stations.

After all of that thinking, Noriko wondered if praying would be the proper way to thank the guy stuck to the cross; she had, after all, seek refuge in His father's house, so she put her hands together and bowed, _Dear God_ , _hello, it's Nijou Noriko here. You know Sumireko-sama, right? She might have mentioned me once or twice during her prayers. So yeah, that's—"_

"Noriko-san?" for a second she thought God was speaking to her.

"…"

"It's Noriko-san, right?" she asked again. And when Noriko opened her eyes to address the voice, she sighed, "Shiori-sama?" the name yet again leaving the girl's lips like it was a curse.

"I'm impressed…"

"Because I remember your name?"

"Because it takes everything in you to say it."

Noriko opened her mouth to answer, but decided she had nothing to say.

"I'm surprised I never saw you around the art gallery again," Shiori said.

"You mean, you're surprised I didn't go back in to ask you questions about Sei-sama?"

"Right."

"I didn't have to."

"Because you trust Sei-san?"

Noriko answered, "Hai," looking straight into Shiori's eyes.

"You're very much like Sei-san said you were…" and at that, Noriko simply gave her a strange look, which prompted the girl to explain, "Kind, caring, honest, a bit dark and incredibly unyielding…" she trailed off, not adding the, "she reminds me of you, Shiori-san," Sei had also mentioned.

Still, Shiori smiled when she thought of the comparison.

"Sei-sama is too nice."

"That she is, Noriko-san."

"…"

Shiori smiled, "If you're done praying, I'd love to buy you a drink…"

"But…"

"I don't bite. Though some people seem to think I do... There's a bar just a couple of blocks away from us… Plus, pardon my judging, but you look like you would benefit from a beer or two."

"Probably two," Noriko mumbled as she watched Kubo Shiori stand and offer her hand to Noriko. "Thanks," Noriko said when her fingers touched Shiori's.

Out the door they went, from the dim-lit church onto the bright spring day.

When Noriko walked back into the same bar she had visited earlier that day, Shiori in tow, the barkeep smirked at the brunette, then simply played along like he had not seen the girl before, "What can I get you ladies?" he asked.

"Shiori-san?" Noriko let the older girl order first, "I'll have a pint of that," she pointed to a handle with a green apple on it. Noriko had never heard of that brewery before, but Shiori solved the mystery when she explained that, "My best friend works for these guys. Their cider is to die for."

"Then I'll take one of them as well, please," Noriko said to the barkeep, then the guy turned his back to the two girls.

"Your best friend makes beer…"

"Do you think that's weird?"

"A little."

"How come?"

"…"

"Okay, okay… I'm supposed to be a nun, right? Have nun friends, wear nun clothes, be nun-like…"

"It's not like that."

"No, it is like that!" Shiori chuckled, "You think I'm terrible because I chose the Convent over Sei-san. Then I left the Convent. That's fair…"

"I never said that," Noriko said, then took a sip of her cider. The drink was crisp, not overly-sweet, though a tad bit tart; it was delicious, nonetheless.

"You think I hurt her…"

"You did, though."

"We were kids! We made terrible decisions!"

"I know. But you still hurt her…"

"I hurt myself more than anyone else," Shiori said, taking a long drink before setting the glass on the coaster and looking at Noriko so she could continue her explanation, "Sei took the first hit, and, yes, it was horrible of me to have just left her, but time and time again it was me who really suffered. Being the bad guy is terribly lonely, Noriko-san. At that time, I thought leaving would fix the issue, it would set Sei free, and she'd hurt for a while, but she'd heal with time. And in the end that was exactly what happened to her. But then there was _my_ heart, which wasn't only broken but the pieces scattered across Tokyo and to this day I haven't found all of them… It's been years and I still miss her terribly," Shiori finished, writing Sei's name in Kanji on the cold cup, the condensation dripping and deeming the letters illegible.

The silence between the two girls grew longer, Shiori kept playing with the cup's condensation while Noriko watched the girl, her fingers drawing vertical lines around the cup, until Shiori brought the pint to her lips and took another long sip, then another, and another. There was a pop song playing on the radio and ironically neither Noriko nor Shiori knew the artist.

Noriko leaned in, her elbows on the counter holding the girl up, then she looked to the side in order to address Shiori, "Do you regret leaving?" she finally asked.

"No." Shiori answered, matter-of-factly, "I was terrified I was going to die when I ran away," she chuckled while shaking her head. She brought the cup to her lips for another sip before continuing, "In the beginning I was numb, then there's this feeling of freedom before panic settles in," Shiori finished her cider and softly lifted her cup toward the barkeep when he looked at her, then she smiled after he smiled at her and proceeded to get her another pint. Noriko watched the entire thing quietly, her eyes analyzing the way Shiori's lips moved, and how her tongue ran across her lips after she finished her drink.

"It was wrong of me to have done what I did to Sei after so many years. But it made me see that she had changed in many ways, though in many ways she had stayed the same… In any case, the Sei I saw last year would never love the Shiori I have become."

Noriko wondered if Shiori was as beautiful in high school as she was right then, sitting at that bar stool, sipping on that full pint of cider, eyes closed as the cold drink traveled from her lips to her mouth and down her throat; the bubbles tickling her nose. Noriko wondered if Sei was ever able to see Shiori the way she was able to see her that afternoon: free from the burden of a dream she later abandoned; raw, undisguised, pouring her heart out to a stranger. It would have been incredible, Noriko thought, for Sei to have seen Shiori in that light, because Kubo Shiori was a beautiful chaos; beaten, cracked, lonely, but remarkably aware of that discord, and above all: learning to live with it.

The barkeep had placed cider number three in front of Noriko when without looking at Shiori she said, "If this makes you feel any better, just this morning, I fucked up the only chance I had with someone who deserves the world but had settled for me…"

"Don't sell yourself short, kiddo" Shiori responded seriously.

"She's completely out of my league…"

"It's not like you fell in love with Rosa Gigant—"

"…"

"You don't say it. Sei's little sister?"

Noriko shook her head, yes.

"She must be a special girl."

"She's very much like Sei-sama," Noriko said, and received a chuckle as a response from Shiori before she added, "Sei wouldn't have it any other way…"

"Shimako is incredible," Noriko said, forcing a smile.

"But you said you messed things up?"

"I told her I never loved her."

"Ouch."

"Yup," was Noriko's only response.

"Why?"

"I saw her with someone else a few weeks ago…"

"So, she cheated…"

"No… _I_ thought she had, but she didn't. I had plans to see her that night for dinner, and so I jumped in a train a lot earlier than I had to, so I could get her a gift – homemade mochi – from this place a stop before K station when you're headed north…"

"The one candy store by the pharmacy in Yurakucho?"

"That one, yeah," Noriko answered, then went on to tell Shiori the tales of that fateful night she saw Shimako and Shizuka at the train station.

"Did you confront them?"

Noriko answered quietly, "I left… How could I have confronted them? As stupid as this might sound, that kiss was my kiss. The way she held on to that girl's face, with so much care, the way that she said something to her before the kiss that made her laugh, all of that had been mine and she had given it to somebody else."

"Do you know who the girl was?"

"I met her today."

"Today?!" Shiori asked surprised.

"That person is Shimako's best friend, whom I had only seen in pictures and in those pictures she had short, dark hair… And since I'm pretty sure she's dating a friend of mine… I fucked all of it up majorly," Noriko explained, before lifting her glass and saying, "Cheers to fuck ups."

"I'll cheer to that," Shiori said, hitting Noriko's glass with hers, "But, I tell you, Noriko-chan, there's only one of those here.

"…'

"You still have time to fix things…" Shiori continued.

"And tell her what?" Noriko chuckled, "Oh yeah, you know those things I told you? Not true at all. I actually am completely in love with you," Noriko finished jokingly, but the tears stubbornly welled up and threatened to fall.

"That wouldn't be a bad start…"

Then as Noriko said, "It won't work," she stood up.

"Which means you're giving up…"

"Correct."

"Okay, then," Shiori said looking up from her bar stool, "I'm not here to make you change your mind. More than anyone else, I have no right to do so. But I also think you need to stop running away from things…. For now thought, I'd like to treat you to another cider. You said your aunt was picking you up down the road, right? Tell her to come here instead."

###

Some called 8 a.m. classes: punishment; many simply called it stupidity. Though, for Mizuno Youko, those early morning lectures were merely a part of the structure she had created for herself. She worked best in the early hours of the day; even when she slept little, the woman was still her sharpest in the morning – a fresh cup of coffee was an ally she never denied, and treated with utmost respect: dark roast, drip, no addendums, Youko was a traditionalist even when the subject was the hot drink.

"Any questions?" the professor asked and the brunette glanced at her wristwatch, finishing up her last notes.

"Comments?"

"…"

"Concerns?"

The classroom remained silent.

With the "Okay, then, see you on Friday," Youko stood, packed her bag and left the classroom.

Every morning Youko walked out of her lectures and headed to the library to review the notes she had just taken, and that day wasn't different; the brunette walked with purpose toward the exit of the building.

"Mizuno-san, we're going for coffee," one of her classmates stopped her as the former Rosa Chinensis had pushed open one of the double doors that led outside. The brunette –who had been looking straight ahead – glanced back at her classmate, "Unfortunately, I won't be able to join you today. Please, send everybody my apologies."

"I-it's no big deal, Mizuno-san…" the guy said, bowing to Youko and walking back in.

Youko walked out berating herself for sounding like she was still Rosa Chinensis, though, at times, that was one of the features she had most difficulty shutting off.

Interestingly enough, she thought she had been doing exceedingly well until she opened that double door and looked toward the path linking the law building and the library.

The raven-haired girl exhaled a long breath once she reached the bottom of the steps, then walked toward the wooden bench that sat right in front of that old building.

"Gokigenyou, Youko-san" the person sitting on the bench said, looking up.

The thought of deja-vu crossed Youko's mind. Incredibly, a colder breeze hit them at that moment and both girls were, for that split second, transported back in time to a cold Christmas Eve.

"Good day," Youko responded, taking a seat by the other girl, "I hope there are no notes you wish for me to deliver this time."

"Sei-san is not the reason why I'm here."

"Then?"

"I have a story to tell you."


	30. An Island

A/N: Hello! Prepare for a super long last chapter. It's bumpy and jumpy and you might find extra typos... I revised it so many times, my eyes started to cross and scenes felt flat - I hate that feeling of writing something that you think is emotional only to read it so many times it doesn't feel as good...

I still hope you guys like it. Now that I am done with this story you shall find me binge-reading fanfic for the next couple of weeks :D

As always thank you for reading!

* * *

""Stop following me." Sachiko said calmly when she walked out of her lecture, but Sei kept walking behind the heiress, "You don't even know what I want!"

"You're going to get me in trouble."

Then the blonde slowed down, "Sachan…" she said a bit deflated, "I just need a little hand."

"You always ask for the hand but end up taking the whole arm, Sei…" the heiress turned around to address Rosa Gigantea, then with a long sigh she asked, "Do we really have to get involved?"

"I'm afraid if we don't do something, she won't come back."

"How can you be so sure?" Sachiko asked, allowing Sei to fall into step with her. Off campus they went, crossing the street toward the bus stop.

"It's been how long, Sachan? I drove down a couple of nights ago and Sumireko-sama said she didn't want to talk to anybody."

When they finally reached the bus stop, Sachiko was the first one to halt her steps, watching a bus coming from downtown stop to drop people off, then she finally turned around to face the blonde.

"…"

"…"

"… What makes you think she'll listen to me?"

And though she was expecting an answer from Sei, the "She won't," came from behind her.

"…"

"…but she'll listed to Yumi-chan," Youko finished with a smile.

"Onee-sama…"

"Gokigenyou, Sachiko."

"No," was Sachiko's interesting choice of greeting.

"Sachan…" Sei pleaded, feeling Youko's fingers entwine in hers.

"We're talking about Fukuzawa Yumi, here, if you guys don't remember."

"Sachan…" Sei tried again, letting go of Youko's hand to cup the heiress' face, "I have faith in you."

 _I have faith in you._ The simple sentence spoken softly by Sei might as well have been screamed into the heiress' face. Out of a sudden Sachiko was eighteen again, alone inside the Rose Mansion…

The day Sei uttered those five words to Sachiko for the first time was the day the heiress understood Sei would be in her life forever. And it was like that, too, as absolute as Satou Sei, because Satou Sei was like that: either completely in, or absently out – Satou Sei didn't know how to be any other way.

On that day, it was way too early for anybody to be wandering through campus, but even still, Sachiko looked at the path from the balcony of the Rose Mansion. The warm morning keeping her tea from cooling down even as she let her mind wander. And it was terribly irritating to be physically exhausted when one's mind couldn't stop moving.

The pounding in Sachiko's chest was a clear reminder of things yet to come, of the conversation she'd still have to have with Yumi about what had transpired the day before at Hanadera. And there was no coming back from that afternoon, there was no erasing the head rush, and the trembling knees, and the butterflies that fled her chest only to find refuge inside Yumi's.

Sachiko kept a tally on how many times she thought of her mouth against Yumi's with her heartbeat. And that count went on through the sleepless night, the auto-pilot shower in the morning, the laconic breakfast with her mother, and the quiet walk to the Rose Mansion.

And it was still extremely early for anyone to be on campus when she heard the creak of the stairs. The steady and purposeful steps which could only belonged to Fukuzawa Yumi made Sachiko's heart explode inside her chest, and there was no keeping track of anything any longer.

When the door opened, Sachiko addressed the visitor with a soft, "Gokigenyou."

"Whaaaaaa-haaaah!" Yumi responded with a shriek.

"Yumi!"

"Sorry! I…I wasn't expecting anybody to be here this early!"

"I… couldn't sleep," Sachiko said honestly. To which Yumi answered with a quick, "Same here," placing her bag by her chair and walking toward the sink, "D-do we still have that instant coffee Youko-sama brought us?"

"It is behind the box of oolong tea… There is warm water in the kettle, too."

"Thank you, Sachan," responded, Yumi, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips, absolutely oblivious to the uproar in Sachiko's chest when the heiress heard the nickname roll from the brunette's tongue so sincerely.

Yumi poured hot water into a mug, adding about two-and-a-half spoons of coffee powder and one spoon full of sugar into her water, stirring it carefully so not to spill. Then the brunette let out a long sigh and walked to the table.

Quietly Yumi sipped on the coffee, and she tried with all of her might to keep her eyes off of Sachiko, who had made herself comfortable by the brunette.

"…"

"If you don't talk, I won't know how you'd like for me to handle questions…" Yumi broke the silence, though her eyes never reached Sachiko's face.

"Excuse me?"

"When people ask questions, how do you want me to respond?"

"Questions about yesterday?"

And at that second question Yumi finally looked at Sachiko, "Are you serious, Sachan?"

"…"

"How do you want me to deny it?"

"…"

"Should we just say we're sisters now? That might help dodging questions from the Newspaper."

"But…"

"…"

"I don't want you to be my petite soeur…"

"Damn, Ogasawara Sachiko. Excuse me!"

"No! That is not what I mean, Yumi! I mean… yesterday—"

"Just don't say it was a mistake," Yumi interrupted with a quiet whisper which carried the weight of her heart in it. "You can call it whatever you want, but, please, don't say you didn't mean to kiss me because I think my heart wouldn't be able to ta—"

Once again Sachiko cupped Yumi's face with both her hands and with utmost care, the soft touch silencing Yumi at once. And the brunette watched quietly as Sachiko leaned in slowly, pressing her mouth against Yumi's with gusto.

For a split second Yumi thought about protesting, but just for that once she allowed herself to enjoy the kiss instead, and with eyes closed, she breathed in Ogasawara Sachiko while lips were locked tenderly.

But much too soon Sachiko pulled back, and when Yumi finally returned to Earth, she found Sachiko still with eyes closed, her lips parted, her cheeks flushed, her chest rising and falling methodically before two pools of deep blue crashed into chocolate orbs. And Sachiko smiled before proceeding, her lips against the brunette's once more, a tongue parting Yumi's mouth, allowing the brunette to cross lines she never thought she could in her wildest dreams. Slowly, Yumi ran the tip of her tongue across Sachiko's bottom lip and every time Yumi breathed out, Sachiko breathed in.

"Holy shit!" was what Sei said when the door swung open, "Holy shit!" she repeated herself, half inside the meeting room, half still standing on the hallway. "I swear I didn't see anything! I'm just here to drop coffee off! Please, take this…" she placed the container on the floor, "and contin—" she tried to finish, though like a flash, Yumi ran by her, sprinting down the stairs and slamming the front door on her way out.

"Holy shit!" Sei said yet again, that time looking straight at Sachiko.

"Sei-sama, please!"

"Are you not going after her?" the blonde said, picking up the can of coffee from the floor.

"Should I?"

The question made Sei's left eye twitch, and the blonde looked at Sachiko in wonderment, but not because she didn't understand how important that moment might have been for Sachiko, who had always gotten what she wanted and found herself having to fight with nails and teeth for what belonged to her. Sei thought about scorning the heiress just because she could – as always – because for some reason Sachiko always felt a bit uncomfortable around Sei, and the blonde knew that very well. Though, Sei had never disliked Sachiko; on the contrary, Sei liked the heiress. She understood the tribulations that the girl had gone through very well, because at the end of the day, Sei knew that they were, in many ways, very similar. It was incredible to watch Sachiko make the same mistakes Sei had once made, and cope with the consequences of her actions very much the same way Sei had done herself.

And maybe, all along, Sachiko's awkwardness around the blonde, had never been related to disliking Sei, but more so for not understanding why the blonde wouldn't –or couldn't– save the raven-haired girl once in a while.

"Really?" Sei finally asked.

"—"

"How long has it been, Sachan?"

How long what?"

"How long have you known she was the one?"

Sachiko gasped at the straightforward question, arms crossed above her chest she stared at Sei for a long, silent while. But then she admitted with soft eyes, "… a long time."

"Then go get her!"

"But… what if—"

"If she didn't like you, she wouldn't agree to the kiss," Sei reasoned.

"But… our parents, Kashiwagi-san, the wedding…"

"Do you really think you'll marry him, Sachan? Even with all of these questions you have, you're closer to marrying her than him."

"Sei-sama!"

"Sachan…" Sei said, a smile from ear-to-ear plastered on her face when she placed both her hands on Sachiko's shoulders, "I have faith in you!"

"H-hai," Sachiko answered with a smile of her own, and down the stairs she went, the pleads of her skirt disturbed, but her heart at peace.

 _Where would she be if she were trying to hide?_ Sachiko wondered as soon as she heard the Rose Mansion's door close behind her. Though, truly, the real question would have to be: _Where would she hide if she were trying to be found?_

And at that, Sachiko ran through the empty path and across the freshly-cut grass, only stopping when she reached her destination.

"Hey…" She said when she pushed the green house's door open.

"Hey…"

"You… ran…"

"Sei-sama saw us!"

"More than anyone else, you should know Sei-sama could never hurt us."

"…"

"Yumi…" Sachiko started, walking to where the girl was sitting and kneeling in front of the brunette. Closing the distance, Sachiko rested her forehead on Yumi's.

"You're engaged, Sachan…" Yumi whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.

"You're right…"

Then Yumi repeated a question she had asked Sachiko the day they first met, "Are you gonna marry him?"

"Do you want me to marry him?"

"What do you think? Yumi blurted out, "How would I want you to marry him when he doesn't love you, Sachan? I just… I can't stand the idea of you spending the rest of your life with someone who is not capable of making you happy..." Then Yumi thought long and hard before finishing her sentence, her eyes glued to Sachiko's, "I want you to find someone who will love every inch of you, every second of every day. Someone who can't picture life without you, someone who wants a love that consumes them until they don't know where they start and you end."

"Yumi…"

"You deserve to be happy, Sachan," the brunette said through clenched teeth, "You deserve someone to sweep you off your feet, to make you think that whatever you felt for Kashiwagi-san was never love to begin with… You deserve someone who will walk into the bathroom you share in the house you bought together, place their watch by yours on the sink and feel nostalgic thinking _there_ is exactly where their watch belongs: close to yours; that after traveling around the world, their watch found a home and that home is by yours. And they'll make their way to the room that belongs to both of you, trying to be quiet and maybe, probably failing at it, waking you up when they try to get in bed. And they'll lie close to you, their legs on top of yours, their lips pressed against the nape of your neck – and even still they'd hope they were closer, because that alone is no sufficient, because their arms around your waist and their chest against your back is never close enough. You…" Yumi hesitated at first, but decided it was best to say it all, "…You deserve someone who will fuck you with clear intentions to make you come, and they won't stop until you do – once, twice, three time, until your legs feel like Jell-O, until your brain is mush, until all you want to do is wrap your legs around that person and melt with them."

"I accept," Sachiko said decisively.

"You—"

"I am just claiming what is mine, that is all." Sachiko wanted that life; the watches on the sink, the lips against the nape of her neck. Sachiko wanted ribbons lost in the vastness of bed sheets and comforters; stuck between pillows, floating under the bed. She wanted that love, all of it. Everything Yumi wanted to give her was what she wanted…

Youko and Sei waited for Sachiko to return to Earth from wherever the heiress had escaped to while she contemplated the request from the older girls.

"Are you sure about Noriko-chan?" the heiress asked seriously, to which she received a nod from Sei as response.

"Okay."

"Okay?" Sei asked.

"Yes. Okay. I'll take care of it, but Sei-sama can't ask questions."

###

Sachiko was able to gather her Lillian friends in the middle of Spring Break for an emergency meeting, but because many of the girls had plans for the rest of the week, they had to come together early that Wednesday – way too early, for the Sachiko's liking, and Satou Sei wasn't making things easier for the heiress.

On her third cup of coffee, Sei bounced off the walls, "…Then Youko reaches for the remote and hits the bowl of popcorn, boom, it's everywhere – inside the drinks, under the couch, this morning I found a couple of popped kernels by the fridge!"

"Sei… Please," Youko tried to appease the caffeinated blonde. Even Shimako tried to help with a quiet, "Onee-sama…"

"You're both no fun!"

"Satou-san…" Sachiko said softly, placing a box on the table, "can we talk about how we're going to make this plan work?"

"She's not gonna go for it, Sachan…" Sei responded matter-of-factly.

"But it's a different question this time, Onee-sama," Shimako interjected, only to receive the same answer Sei had given Sachiko. Then the blonde pushed the box toward Sachiko and said, "Buy a ring, Sachan, like a normal person would."

"I did not wake up this early for you to lecture me on what I should give her."

"Then tell us what your plan is, Ice Princess…"

The girls watched Sachiko bring her tea cup close to her lips, then blow on it before she took a small sip, only then, the heiress addressed everybody at the table just as if she was leading a Yamayurikai meeting, "Shimako should be able to help Nana with the more technical parts…" then Rosa Chinensis addressed Nana seriously, "If you time things well, you should not have any issues with the costumes, you just need to get there before she arrives – I'll delay things as much as I can and will keep you posted if anything changes on our end."

With the assertive, "Hai," Sachiko received from Nana, she continued on with her plan, giving the girls detailed instructions, all the while making sure Sei understood that her role was probably the most important of all.

"But, are you really sure that you don't want to buy her a ring?" Sei insisted with the question, reaching for the box across the table, "When was the last time you even opened this thing?" the blonde pushed on the latch in a failed attempt to pop the box open, "Not even the box agrees with this idea of yours…" she finished, handing the container to Youko, who tried to open it up herself and failed as well.

Then, the box made its way around the table, all of the girls having a try at opening it, all of the attempts unsuccessful.

"Nonsense!" Sachiko said at last, looking square at the box then trying to pry it open,

"Ugh!"

"Uggggghhh!" she tried again.

"Oh my God!" Sachiko pressed down on the latch, then sat it down on the table, conquered, "Maybe I should buy her a ring…"

And at that, the room went quiet for a long while until Sei broke the silence, "Don't be so dramatic! You wanna propose with the stupid rosary, then propose with the stupid rosary!" and just like that the blonde reached for the box, wiggling the sides two or three times then prying the box open with a loud, "Ahhh!"

And "Ahhh!" was quickly accompanied by a louder, "Fuck!"

"!"

"It wouldn't open because the thing was stuck to the box from the inside…" Sei said, lifting the broken rosary up, "Maybe if we glue it toge—"

"Are you insane, Satou-san?"

"No…" was the blonde's simple answer.

Then it was Shimako's turn to intervene, asking to see the rosary and examining the two parts of the praying beads which should have been connected, "Not only the links are broken, these two beads…" she pointed at the rosary she held with one of her hands, "..are badly scratched."

Sachiko stood and excused herself, reaching for the back pocket of her jeans, withdrawing her phone and quickly making a call. From the table the girls were still able to hear parts of the conversation, "Could you think of someone else… in Japan?" then she paused for a long while before adding a quick, "I see."

Following that, there was an, "I understand," then a, "What if we take it ourselves?" proceeded by yet again a long pause, "If he agrees with the arrangement, then I'll make sure it is delivered by one of us today. Thank you very much," Sachiko said and walked back to the table.

"Father knows somebody who can fix the rosary," the heiress announced.

To which Sei responded, "Great!"

"…In Tahara."

"Are you serious?!"

"Do I look like I'm kidding, Sei-sama?!"

"Damn! Don't Sei-sama me…"

"…"

After a long silence Shimako spoke softly, but seriously, "I'll go."

###

Tahara was one of those places Shimako had heard of innumerous times, though she had never had the opportunity to visit. Even so, all of the stories from Professors and TAs only heightened Rosa Gigantea's curiosity about the place which had been inhabited since prehistoric times, and what those inhabitants left behind, for a novice scholar like Todou Shimako, were not simply bones in burial mounds and ancient artifacts; they were answers for questions she would have never asked had she remained a nun.

Though it was terribly difficult not to keep driving toward one of the various archeological sites, Shimako took the exit toward old downtown, checking-in to the hotel she was staying that night, then taking a quick shower and changing before she jumped into her dad's truck again, typing in the address she was given by Sachiko and headed toward her destination.

"Ask for the jeweler," were the instructions she was given by Sachiko that morning, and with a blush on her cheeks for not knowing the name of the person she was looking for, she asked a guy about her age who was in front of the lighthouse smoking a cigarette, "Probably upstairs," the guy answered pointing toward the door, "Go on in, you can't really miss the stairs…"

So Shimako thanked the guy and pushed the lighthouse's door open.

The bottom floor was large, the white walls both soaked in the sunlight like a sponge and reflected the light inside the room, and though the place looked lived-in, it had incredible character. Silently Shimako stepped close to the window and looked out, the waves crashed far from the shore, and she stared at the sea for a long time until she heard a loud noise coming from a room behind her, "Hello?" she attempted.

"Little help here?" was the request coming from the room.

Shimako said a quiet but firm, "One second!" and ran toward the voice, "How can I help?" she asked.

"Grab the bottom of this frame, Shimako-chan," the old man said seriously, and it took a long second for Shimako to realize he had addressed her by her name, only then she lifted her eyes from the large painting that was crushing the man against the wall and looked at his face.

"…"

"Lift on three, use your legs; ready? One, two th-ree!" and just like that the frame's bottom was on the floor, which allowed Shimako to finally address the man properly.

"Shimura-sama…"

"W-when Ogasawara-sama called me, I had a hunch that Blondie was the one who was bringing the broken rosary to me – not you, kiddo."

"…Turns out I was the only one who had no previous arrangements for the week."

"Aha! I had forgotten Blondie has a girlfriend now, Mizuno Youko, right?"

"Hai."

"I'm glad Sei-chan is finally happy."

"Me too, Shimura-sama."

The man was quiet for a second, hands resting on his waist, looking at Shimako before scratching his chin and saying, "How about we take a look at that rosary?"

"Yes. Of course…" Shimako reached into her purse, handed the older man the box with the rosary, then watched the guy open it, pick up the rosary and look at it closely.

"…"

"Could you fix it?" Shimako asked, to which the man answered with an invitation to walk up the stairs as he had left his glasses there.

And so Shimako followed Takuya up the creaking stairs, still mesmerized by the way the sun reflected against the walls of that old lighthouse.

Once they reached their destination, a large loft right beneath the room which housed the lantern and the catwalk, Takuya opened the door and mumbled, "They should be here by the desk..."

In the fully furnished living area, a large sofa faced a cast-iron fireplace, and standing by the door Shimako stared at the unlit thing, dark and cold in the middle of that room, while Takuya sat at the desk, placing the rosary under a bright light and leaning in to analyze the damage.

A minute or two had gone by and out of the blue Takuya extended his arm out and snapped his fingers once, twice, three times, then whispered, "Hey!" Which brought Shimako back from her reverie.

###

Noriko had stopped counting how long it had been since the day she last spoke with Shimako. Keeping track had consumed the brunette for a long while, but every broken heart, at some point, makes a conscious decision to move on. For Noriko, her time was the weekend which preceded her Spring Break.

To say that she remembered how she got home that Saturday morning after going out with a couple of her college friends on Friday was a lie. But that specific morning, when magically there was no hangover, it felt as if the heavens were saying: It's time, be a human again. Noriko's day-one had finally arrived.

For the first time in Maria-sama knows how long, the brunette was up early during the weekend, she showered and joined Sumireko for a cup of coffee in the kitchen. And as if it was the night of the living dead –or the morning of the living Noriko– Sumireko was half terrified, half ecstatic for having a cohesive niece sitting across from her, hair still damp from the shower she had just taken.

Noriko thanked Sumireko for the coffee and went back upstairs. Trash bag in hand, she started with the empty beer cans which had taken over her room, then she tackled the sea of empty bags of potato chips, and finally, tossed the several empty bottles of liquor she had hoarded for weeks.

She cleaned her floors, changed her bed sheets, and started on laundry before she put on running shoes, walked down the stairs as she pulled up her hair, exchanged a few words with Sumireko, then walked out the door.

And up the street Noriko went on the slowest jog one could have had, but a jog nonetheless. The warm spring breeze on her face, she made her way toward the park which was about a half-mile away from Sumireko's – it was a good start, a very good start for somebody who had been drinking heavily and lived off of junk food for the past three months.

 _Eggs and toast,_ had been on Noriko's mind when she walked back into Sumireko's, "Sumireko-san, do we have eggs?" she asked, taking her shoes off and walking to the kitchen.

"Sumireko-sa—" Noriko had walked into the kitchen to find Sumireko had company.

"Gokigenyou, Riko-chan," Yumi greeted, placing her cup of coffee on the table and standing up to bow, "I apologize for showing up unannounced."

And at that, Noriko looked at Sumireko, who had until then kept the Lillian girls away from the brunette, "You should listen to Yumi-chan, Riko."

"Why are you here, Yumi-sama?"

"It's good seeing you, too Riko-chan," Yumi shot back.

"…"

"I'm here representing Shimura-sama, who said you were supposed to help him this week."

"I told Takuya-kun I couldn't make it this time."

"But that's not true, right?" Yumi retorted.

"…"

"That's what I thought…"

"I'm not going anywhere."

"And I'm not here to take you anywhere. I am simply here to do this…" Yumi pulled her phone from her pocket, dialed a number and waited for it to be answered before speaking into the device, "I'm here. She's not happy," she started.

"Hai," she said after a short pause.

Then she said, "Hai," again and handed the phone to Noriko, "He wants to talk to you."

"Are you serious?" Noriko whispered; though, she picked up the phone from Yumi's hand and brought it to her ear, then heaving a deep breath, she spoke into the device, "I don't like this."

Noriko opened her mouth again, but closed it quickly, allowing Takuya to finish his sentence. Once the older man was done, she spoke calmly, "Inside a church?"

There was a long pause before it was her turn to speak again, "I understand..." she said, disconnecting the call and handing Yumi back the phone. "Pretty sure the only clean anything I have is a pair of jeans I haven't worn in a million years… everything else is still in the dryer. I'll pack when that load is done," Noriko said looking at Yumi, then she faced Sumireko, "Do we have eggs?"

"Yes…" Sumireko said softly, pointing to the fridge, absolutely sure Noriko wasn't happy. Then the older woman walked away quietly with the excuse she needed to check on the garden.

"How do you like you eggs, Yumi-sama?" Noriko asked before opening the fridge.

"…"

The brunette looked over to the table from behind the open fridge door, "Sunny side up, over easy, medium, hard…"

"Riko…"

"That's not a type of fried egg," Noriko tried a joke, placing the carton of eggs by the stove and grabbing a frying pan from the kitchen cabinet.

"I'll scramble them if you don't really have a preference."

"That's fine," Yumi responded. It was the first time in weeks Noriko had addressed the older girl properly, and try as she might, Yumi couldn't hide the awkwardness she felt.

Quietly, Noriko topped off Yumi's coffee, then poured herself a cup after setting a plate in front of Rosa Chinensis, then she grabbed her own plate and brought it to the table.

"Sumireko-san's freezer jam is pretty good," Noriko said, offering Yumi the jar and the knife she had just used on her toast. And Yumi accepted both with a soft, "Thanks."

"Rei-sama doing okay?"

"Yeah, the cast came off last week, but she's not back at the dojo yet…" Yumi answered.

"And Yoshino-sama?"

"Making sure Rei-san doesn't lift a finger, of course…" Yumi said, then continued, "Sei-sama and Youko-sama are also doing well."

"I'm glad."

Then Yumi asked, "Have you talked to Touko-chan lately?"

"Not in a while," Noriko responded.

"She told her parents..."

"About Kanako-san?"

"Yup."

"Is that so?"

"They already knew… So Touko-chan was a bit disappointed."

"She would be..."

Then there was a long silence before Yumi spoke, "They miss you, Riko. Everybody misses you… Even Shizuka-sama asks about you every time we get together… We all miss you."

"…"

"But I'm sure I don't have to tell you who misses you the most, right?"

"Yumi-sama…"

Yumi sat her chopsticks down and looked square at Noriko, "You've got to talk to her," she started, "You've got to tell her why you said the things you said. You've got to grow a pair and tell her you're sorry you thought she was kissing somebody else."

"How—"

"Maria-sama is fucking watching…" Yumi said softly, bringing the coffee mug to her lips and blowing on it before taking a sip.

"Does she know?"

"Shimako? No…"

"…"

"I had made a promise not to meddle…"

"…"

"… in _her_ shenanigans. I never said anything about yours…" Yumi said straight-faced, watching as Noriko stood up and shook her head on her way to the coffee maker, silently grabbing the pot, bringing it to the table and filling up Yumi's cup then hers. She then walked back to the counter and placed the pot back where it belonged.

 _Things belonged_ , Noriko thought; big or small, things had a place in the universe, people had a place in the universe – like Yumi's place was by Sachiko, and Youko's by Sei. One way or another, people found their place; some sooner than others, but people found their place – early in their lives like Rei and Yoshino, or after many struggles like Kanako and Touko. Though, Noriko, at that moment, felt as if there was no space in the universe for her. Perhaps that was exactly how one must feel when they have finally stepped off the playing field, away from people's eyes. And maybe displaced was exactly how Noriko needed to be in order to understand the consequences of moving on.

Sitting back down across from Yumi, the younger girl finally spoke, "It's been a long time since I looked outside my window at night and saw the stars. After all of these months, I am finally at a position where I can do that, Yumi-sama, – I can pay attention to the small details of life again; I see colors again, I can smell the fresh brewed coffee and I can taste things again – recognizing things again after just going through the motions. And I think this is what letting go feels like, what moving on looks like, what turning the page must be. To say I didn't love Shimako would be to betray myself, lying because I'm not ready to accept the end. So… I loved her like I needed her to survive. And even though I loved her, I hurt her… Which makes me think that all along I didn't know how to love her at all… That was the biggest sin I've committed, and I hope one day she can find in her the strength to forgive me… Yumi-sama, I appreciate you coming here for Takuya-kun's sake, and I will go help him; but, I'd be lying to you if I told you I have any intentions of straightening things out with Shimako."

###

"Don't make me go back to that church without you, Takuya-kun…" Noriko said, when she walked into Takuya's headquarters.

A quick ten-minute walk to the church Takuya was restoring, the building belonged to a good friend of the older man. And to say that Noriko wasn't mesmerized by every corner of that home was to say a Buddhist enthusiast wasn't giddy every time they saw a juzu.

Nevertheless, Noriko had been helping with the restoration of the church ever since she had arrived there on Saturday, and by Wednesday evening, the long days and short nights had caught up with the brunette.

Knowing how much work Noriko had done in such a short amount of time, Takuya answered her plea by granting her the night off, and he chuckled while watching the girl give him a thankful smile, and quietly drag herself up the stairs.

In the corner of the loft, Noriko grabbed clean clothes from her bag and headed to the bathroom. As she closed the door behind her, she freed her hair from the ponytail she sported that day, and without much fuss, she undressed, then looked at her reflection in the mirror. How long had it been since she really took a look at herself? She couldn't really answer. The traditional Japanese doll features remained the same, dark hair, dark eyes, all of the lines, and curves, and freckles remained the same; however, Noriko had changed. And it wasn't just the hair that had grown out, finding rest against her upper back, nor her bangs which, had been neglected and simply scooped to the side; it was her heart that had changed, and she was afraid that wasn't the last time that she'd experience that weird feeling of seeing herself in the mirror and not recognizing her own essence. She was afraid that wasn't going to be the last time her heart would explode in a million pieces only to be picked up and mended back into something that resembled the original when it was once whole.

But it was okay to be a stranger to herself; to break, to mend, to shatter again. It was okay to have felt too much, and have loved too much, and then have lost – by her own mistake.

It was okay.

The decision was hers.

So, it had to be okay.

When she was done with her shower Noriko returned to the living room where she lay down. Covered by a thick blanket the brunettes stared at the cast-iron fireplace in front of her for a long while, thinking of the restoration she was helping with and wondering for the nth time who would have let an artist paint a large cherry blossom on one of the walls of a Catholic Church.

Then she closed her eyes and saw the tree – or at least how it once was – tall, and strong, and full of light-pink petals. When she reopened her eyes, the fireplace greeted her coldly, so she closed them again and there the tree was still, and so was a certain Rosa Gigantea, hands against the trunk of that tree.

It was wonderful.

And Noriko had every right to think so. If she was going to live with the burden of losing for the sake of not hurting Shimako any more than she had already hurt her, then she had every right to be haunted by the ghost of that lost love, and to accept that as part of the healing process. Her heart would mend, of course, but Noriko was completely fine with the numbing and the flaking of the scabs – she didn't want to skip the pains of healing, on the contrary, she wanted to remember every single second from the initial stitches to the final scar.

Finger-snaps and a soft, "Hey!" brought Noriko back from the half-dreaming drift, and she sat up a bit disoriented, "You promised I could sleep…" she complained to Takuya.

"But I need you to look at this thing for me."

And with that, the brunette walked up to the desk and looked at the rosary Takuya had under the light. The Western piece was astonishing, each bead individually hand-painted and the rings connected with utmost care by someone as meticulous as… herself.

The chain is bent, the beads scratched…" she said in a dismissive tone, still groggy from sleep.

"Sherlock in the house!" was Takuya's snarky response.

"You flirt with the nuns and I end up having to fix these super old pieces, it takes forever…"

"It's not—"

"Takuya-kun…" Noriko interrupted, and as she turned around, headed back to the couch, she tried to add, "I'll fix it when I'm done with my na—" but never really finished her sentence because when she had lifted her eyes from the couch to the loft's door she saw a ghost clad in white.

With one hand, Noriko held on to the back of the couch, and try as she might, she couldn't blink that wraith away. _It's okay,_ she thought, staring at the door, waiting for the image to dissipate into a million cherry blossom petals.

Thought, instead, Shimako moved closer.

One step after the other, Rosa Gigantea waltzed into the room with the same serenity she had always carried herself with.

"Shimako-chan," Takuya said, to the girl walking into the room, making –whatever was left from—Noriko's brain melt. "Riko will fix the rosary, no problem," he finished, then he stood from his chair and mumbled an awkward, "I gotta go back down now," before he ran out of the room.

"…"

White dress on, a single braid resting atop of her shoulder, Rosa Gigantea halted her steps in front of Noriko. For a second she looked serious, but then a smile tugged at her lips, followed by the most melodious sound Noriko had heard in a while, "You're… the jeweler…"

At Noriko's soft, "Hai," Shimako continued, "Then… you're the one who fixed grandmother's juzu..."

"Does it even matter?"

"…You should have told me."

"There was no need to do so…"

"Maria-sama must have really wanted us to meet…" Shimako mused. The fact that Noriko spent the better part of her adolescence going to a secular high school didn't keep Shimako from thinking that somehow, they were bound to meet, become friends, fall in love. It was simply a matter of time, Maria-sama was watching, and if it wasn't the Kannon statue, or the lavender fields of Furano that would bring those two hearts together, then why not a heart? Why not the broken, mended, imperfect but precious heart which belonged to Fukuzawa Yumi to bring those two broken, mended, imperfect hearts together? _The universe worked in incredible ways_ , Shimako thought, thanking Maria-sama for having a back-up plan already designed: the broken juzu. One way or another, their paths would cross.

Then it dawned on her what that might have looked like, "I'm…" she started, "I didn't know you were the jeweler. It was never my intention to break my promise to you, and I am only here because of Sachiko-sama's rosary."

"I already said I'd fix it." Noriko said dryly.

"I appreciate it, and Sachiko will forever be indebted to you," Shimako bowed deeply, "I should take my leave now," she finished, turning around and walking away.

It was going to be like that, simple as a bow and a goodbye. It was going to be like that; exactly the way Noriko had requested. And Shimako was going to abide by that outrageous demand without hesitation, without fear, without any pleading nor crying from Rosa Gigantea's part.

For Shimako, demanding love from Noriko was egotistical; a selfish request which was inherently presuming. Back in high school, she had tried to lead a life free of desire knowing very well how hard it was to let go of things she had once held in her hands. But by joining the cloister – and losing everything she had – she had learned that letting go was an inevitable part of living… Loving without demanding anything back; therefore, was simply a way of leading a life which she thought would be true to her heart.

So, it _was_ going to be like that: a thank you very much, a quick apology, and an exit stage left.

Unless something else happened, unless somebody else spoke up, unless the other party in the room grew a pair, unless, "Wait!" Noriko shouted, then she watched Shimako turn around, before asking, "Why do you have to be so nice? After all I've told you… why do you insist in being nice!?" Noriko's voice cracked. And Shimako answered quietly, as calm as Rosa Gigantea could have ever been, "Is it not obvious?" The older girl smiled sincerely, then she dropped her head down and stared at her shoes for a long while before looking back up and adding, "Riko, love is patient, kind, it doesn't boast, and it's not proud," Shimako paraphrase one of her favorite scriptures, "How can I not be kind to you when all I've eve wanted, since the moment I first saw you, was to be with you?"

"…"

Shimako continued after a quiet chuckle, "I am the product of second and third and fourth chances, to stand here and be anything but kind to you would be the most hypocrite thing I could ever do."

"Shi-mako…"

"At times I think about how hard it would be to fight everyone else for what I feel for you. How hard it would be to kick and scream against people who oppose this feeling! Though for you I would in a heartbeat, with nails and teeth, I would! I'd fight anyone and everyone for you, but… the only person I can't fight is you… I can't force you to feel the same way I do. But…Riko… nothing you say or do can stop me from loving you, and that's a fact I hope you can live with the same way I have to," Rosa Gigantea said before finishing with a, "Gokigenyou," making her way down the stairs.

###

Saturday afternoon rolled around and Shimako ran across the Amusement Park holding on to the panda bear's head which bounced on top of her own; a smaller panda followed her closely behind.

"Do you see them?" Shimako asked.

"Right there!" Nana responded, pointing at Yumi who was far ahead of them, exiting the Teacup ride, "And I see Touko-san and Kanako-san, too!" she added, spotting the two girls running toward them from the south entrance.

"Then it's time…"

At that the two pandas met two more pandas. A minute later, there were seven of them – Rei, Yoshino and Shizuka joining the group. Somehow, Sei and Youko were able to drag Yumi by herself to the Teacup ride while the other girls scattered away to their respective posts.

Head inside a trashcan, Sei was being consoled by Youko and Yumi when the brunette spotted the embarrassment of pandas – and how fitting that name was for a bunch of grown-ass women to be wearing those costumes. Even still, Yoshino skipped down the path holding Rei's hand, while Nana Tai Chi-ed her way down. Kanako and Touko ran in front of the group, leaving Shimako and Shizuka to close the parade.

"You can stop pretending now, Sei," Yumi said to the blonde who just waved her hands and continued to yack.

Surrounding Yumi, the pandas danced around her and she laughed, "Could you not think of anything less ridiculous?" and without answering, Shimako and Nana grabbed on to Yumi's hand and walked her away from all of the attractions.

Up the hill they went, then down the hill, crossing the entire park until they walked Yumi to the exit where a black limo waited.

"She's here," the driver said once he opened the door allowing Sachiko to step out of the car.

The heiress wore a pair of light-wash jeans, a navy blouse, and white sneakers; simple, yet incredibly becoming, and she smiled when her eyes met Yumi's. Then one of the pandas pushed Yumi toward Sachiko, "Hey! Stop it, Yoshino-san!" Yumi complained, knowing very well who was who inside the panda costumes – the people she loved the most, friends who might as well be called sisters, and though different blood separated them, their hearts were connected in the most wonderful of ways.

"Sachan…" the brunette said when Sachiko reached for both her hands.

"I was going to take you on a drive around town to visit our favorite spots as I wanted to take you down memory lane before I asked you the most important question I have ever asked… I was planning on walking side by side with you across Lillian, up the Rose Mansion stairs, and stop you right before we walked into our meeting room to ask you such question. Though I have now changed my mind…"

"Sachan?"

"Why drive around and look back on our own, when the most important people in our lives are here in front of us and we can share this moment with them?" and at that question, Sachiko saw Sei and Youko catch up with the pandas, then she looked back at Yumi before continuing, "You are a blessing in my life, Yumi. If today I know how to love, it's because you taught me. I don't think there's anything in this world I wouldn't be able to do with you by my side," said the heiress, and the pandas froze in place when they watched Ogasawara Sachiko lower herself to one knee and reach for her back pocket, withdrawing a tiny box from it. Then, with both hands she carefully opened the ruby container, unveiling what could only be a ring, "It once belonged to my grandmother, and it is the second most valuable thing in my life only because the first is right now standing in front of me. And you are worth so much more than this ring… You are the breath in my lungs. You have permeated so deeply within me that at times I feel I belong to you more than to myself – and to say this feeling isn't incredible is a complete lie," Sachiko stopped to catch her breath, a smile on her face, tears of the most joy blurring her vision. Then she finished her speech with, "Fukuzawa Yumi, would you make me the happiest woman on this planet by marrying me?"

There was a long silence after Sachiko's offer; Yumi simply staring at that ring. Then the brunette kneeled down in front of Sachiko and with a bright smile, she finally answered, "I accept."

After receiving the ring from Sachiko, Yumi turned toward her friends and bowed deeply, "Thank you very much for always being part of the most important moments of my life. You are the reason why I get to marry the girl of my dreams – without your support I would be half the person I have become," Yumi finished, standing up straight and walking back to Sachiko.

###

The embarrassment of pandas exploded in cheers before surrounding Sachiko and Yumi. They chatted for a long time, though Sachiko was only able to pull Shimako to the side for a quick second before the heiress and Yumi hopped in the limo and drove away, "You have been most wonderful to us, Shimako-san. I promise you, we will talk tonight."

Shimako didn't look as if she was fazed by the sudden change in heart Sachiko had. Everybody was a bit taken aback when Sachiko had resurrected the rosary anyway, but they knew that the heiress could have offered Yumi a wire twisted in the shape of a ring and she'd still say yes in a heartbeat. Perhaps Sachiko's rosary had always belonged to her, and her grandmother's ring was supposed to be Yumi's all along.

Because things simply belonged.

Shimako said her own goodbyes and headed to the parking lot where she rid herself of the panda suit, got into her dad's truck and drove into the city.

Windows rolled down, the warm breeze touching her face felt as if it wanted, with all its might, to join Rosa Gigantea during that solitary drive, to be there for the girl.

The radio played her favorite songs while she headed east, and she watched the sun set through her rearview mirror. Shimako smiled to herself; her heart was at peace with the choices that she had made, with the things she had experienced ever since she had decided to leave the cloister. It felt right to be out in the world, living it, breathing it – it felt like day-one.

###

Noriko breathed out a long sigh. Feeling her feet glued to the ground she thought of her friends which she hadn't seen in a while, and for the first time in a long time, she wished she wasn't alone; she whished Touko and Kanako and Nana were there screaming at her, she wished Yumi were there, quietly sitting on the couch, and while saying nothing, saying everything.

Then she wondered what Sachiko would do at that particular moment, and without hesitation, Noriko knew: _"Please take care of Shimako,"_ she would say. As a matter of fact, that simple request was exactly what every single Yamayurikai rose would ask of Noriko, because that was what they did – they took care of one another.

Even still, Noriko hesitated. Could she truly and wholeheartedly take care of Shimako? Could that heart beating against her chest, find the strength to give herself a second chance? Shimako had already said she wouldn't fight Noriko for her love, but could Noriko wage a war inside herself in Shimako's name? – because _that_ would be taking care of Shimako, _that_ would be loving that woman who asked for nothing from Noriko but the right to feel.

Could she do it? Could she gather the strength to apologize for a juvenile mistake which had brought her there – exactly where she was, stuck to the floor, as she watched the woman she absolutely adored walk away after pouring out her heart to Noriko?

 _"Please, take care of Shimako,_ " Noriko heard Sachiko's voice and could feel the soft push which freed her feet, lifting the spell which had loosen the red string of fate connecting her heart and Shimako's.

And, _"Please take care of Shimako"_ was a declaration of war. If it was for Shimako, then Noriko would fight, anyone, everyone, herself.

For Shimako, she would.

Noriko blinked once, twice, three times, lavender covered the floors, and sprinting, she exited the loft, hitting the stairs running, disturbing the purple petals as she balanced herself while holding on to the rail, "No, no, wait, wait, wait! Hang on!" she shouted quickly.

Since Shimako didn't look back, for a split second Noriko thought that was how it was going to be; the shortest war ever fought. And the defeat brought the overwhelming feeling of despair one has when they realize that they had been wrong all along.

The brunette asked one last time, "Shimako, please!" she begged, reaching for Rosa Gigantea's elbow, purple still covering the steps of that old lighthouse.

Noriko pleaded, "Don't go…" when Shimako finally turned to face the brunette. And hearing the commotion, Takuya stepped out of the room he was working in, "Everything okay?" he asked the two girls once they hit the first floor.

"Hai…" Noriko answered, her cheeks red, her eyes filled with tears, "We're going to step outside for a second…"

With that, the two girls quietly walked out to find a sunset which painted the most incredible picture in the horizon, and the waves still crashed in the vast ocean, though much closer to the beach by that time of the evening.

When they finally stepped on the sand, Noriko slowed down, allowing Shimako to walk in front of her. Much like Noriko, Shimako was also mesmerized by the coming and going of the large vessels surrounding the port, because it was a while until the older girl turned around and faced Noriko – a shy smile stubbornly tugging at her lips at the sight of the brunette. And Noriko dared to think that Rosa Gigantea's smile could be more beautiful than that sundown.

Then a faint breeze touched upon the girls, bringing cherry blossom petals along.

"…"

Shimako stopped right before the shoreline, "This sunset is lovely, isn't it?" she asked, looking at Noriko.

"…"

"…Was this view so beautiful that y—"

"You take the words from my mouth, Shimako. You take the air from my lungs, the thoughts from my head!" Noriko interrupted. "It's never been the flowers, or the cherry blossom trees, or the sunset that have silenced me; it's always been you… I… lose my composure when you walk into the room; out of a sudden I am forever falling in this never ending abyss, and instead of reaching for solid ground all I want, more than anything else, is to continue the plunge."

"Riko…" Shimako whispered, her eyes glimmering with tears she wasn't sure were happy or sad. Then Noriko continued, "A while ago I watched you let a woman I had never seen before hold you with so much care, my heart stopped beating… I watched her mouth press against yours, Shimako, and instead of stopping it, you just… let her. But that wasn't enough… that wasn't enough! You had to hold on to her face with both hands, like her cheeks were the most sacred thing in the world, and bring your lips to her head… just like you used to kiss me…"

Rosa Gigantea brought her fingers to her lips, "Shizuka-sama…"

"Out of a sudden I wasn't falling anymore. But like the end of an eclipse, you stayed still while I drifted away… And by drifting I learned that without you I just go through the motions…but with you I'm scared, and I am breathless, and I am at a loss for words, and even so, even off-balance, terrified, and with no air in my lungs, I am so much happier because I get to spend that moment with you, and watch you smile, and listen to your voice, and share everything with you."

"You thought Shizuka-sama and I…" she trailed off.

Balled up fists, Noriko said through clenched teeth, "How would you feel if you watched the girl you love kiss someone else?!"

"You… love me?" Shimako asked, completely ignoring the question at large, and making Noriko immediately avert her gaze. Feeling her cheeks heat up in the most furious of blushes, Noriko shoved both her hands inside her back pockets; her knuckles grazing the cloth while the tips of her left fingers found the delicate beads of Shimako's rosary which had been neglected for months in those jeans.

"…"

Takuya's voice echoed in her head, _"If you don't love her, the rosary doesn't belong to you,"_ while she clutched those beads tight between her fingers.

"It's a simple yes or no, Riko."

"Seriously?" That shout was lost in the vastness of the beach, though Shimako said nothing, waiting on a response.

"Of course I love you, Shimako!"

"Then…" Shimako started, taking a step closer to the brunette… "Don't walk away from my life…" Adding to the Mille-feuille of feelings Noriko was experiencing that day, Shimako continued, "I'm afraid if you walk away, it would be a lifetime before I see you again…You'd hide somewhere on the other side of the world and I would lose my mind… I can't bare the thought of us crossing paths years from now and being strangers just because you thought you weren't ready to forgive."

"You did nothing wrong for me to have to forgive you."

"But how about forgiving yourself? Could you do that for me?"

"…"

In a matter of an hour the brunette had gone from war to mercy within herself all because of that girl standing in front of her. The girl who never – not even for a second – wavered when the subject was how she felt and what she wanted. And it was clear that all Shimako wanted was Noriko.

Reaching for her pocket and lifting the rosary at eye-level, Noriko watched the beads sway between her and Rosa Gigantea, making Shimako gasp, and out of a sudden there was not enough air in that city for neither Shimako nor Noriko.

"Could you help me?" Noriko asked as she started to wrap the rosary around her wrist.

With a shy smile tugging at her lips, Shimako answered, "H-hai," taking Noriko's hand and fastening the rosary tightly.

Things belonged.

Everything had a place in the universe.

###

Shimako smiled to herself; her heart was at peace with the choices that she had made, with the things she had experienced ever since she had decided to leave the cloister. It felt right to be out in the world, living it, breathing it – it felt like day-one.

Parking her dad's truck on a small cobblestone road, Rosa Gigantea closed her door and leaned against it for a while. Looking up at the third floor balcony of this five-story building she wondered about Sachiko and why the girl would send her all the way to Tahara to fix the heiress' rosary only to change her mind and propose with her grandmother's ring.

And as she mulled over Sachiko's unusual change of heart, she thought of the conversation she had with the heiress at the hotel room…

 _Made it. Just checked-in to the hotel._

4:19 PM

Shimako texted Sachiko and jumped in the shower to freshen up after the four-hour drive.

Untwisting the towel from her head and patting dry her hair, Rosa Gigantea sat on the bed and powered up her phone to find three messages from Sachiko.

 _Wonderful! I am glad you made it there safely._

4:19 PM

A chuckle turned into a full smile, and Shimako shook her head. Even texting, the heiress was a proper as she could be.

Then Rosa Gigantea scrolled down to read the second text.

 _Shimako, I would like to make use of rule number two._

4:21 PM

Although not all rules had been memorized by Rosa Gigantea, some were deeply engraved in her memory, which was the case of number one and two, not only because one nullified the other, but also because rule number one had been inherently written to be broken – even more so than rule 19 (which required the girls to call _safety_ when a toot happened). Rare were the occasions when rule number two had been mentioned before number one had already been broken.

Rule #1: In no case there should be meddling between Yamayurikai members.

Rule#2: Rule number one shall be overruled by number two if and only if the meddler is truly confident that there cannot be a better way to resolve the issue.

 _Ogasawara Sachiko is asking for permission to meddle?_

4:43 PM

The straightforward response came within seconds:

 _Yes._

4:43 PM

Shimako typed back, a quick " _Alright"_ and didn't have to wait much until her phone buzzed again with a text from Sachiko containing a link to a blog and a request:

 _Don't forget to look at the pictures at the end._

4:44 PM

The blog entry, which was almost a year old was titled: Nice to meet you, Furano, may I see you again? And it was written by Riko-chan, Takuya-kun's Right Hand in Chief, as labeled under the title.

Shimako tossed the towel she was using to dry her hair on a chair, and holding her phone with both hands, she looked at the first picture: a panoramic shot of Kami-Furano as the sun disappeared behind the hills of lavender.

She read the first paragraph carefully, and as much as she tried not to, a smile took over her lips even before she had reached the second picture, which was a still of an old tractor, hauling people away from the welcome center.

Then she proceeded to read the second paragraph, third, fourth; thoroughly examining the pictures that came after Noriko's writing, until she reached the closing section. After the last sentence, there was a link to a slideshow, and buried in that link, 20 other pictures Noriko had taken while in Furano. Out of the 20 pictures at least seven had been taken from similar angles: all with the sun behind them; interestingly enough, poppy flowers were also part of those shots – not lavender, but tiny, colorful little flowers. And if one looked closely, they could also spot the same figure, over and over again in each photograph, as if they had been the main subject of those shots all along, not just a simple addendum. One of those photographs was the still of that person receiving something from a tiny little girl – both hands extended as if accepting the most important gift in the world.

Ah! And it was! Between those tiny fingers, there was so much more than green tea mochi… Between those fingers there were a raft of feelings Shimako was allowed to experience again with her beloved friends, and for the first time with Noriko.

Closing the slide show was a picture of the kid who had offered Shimako candy in Kami-Furano, peaking from around a bookshelf with a bright smile on her face.

Inside that hotel room, Shimako let the tears roll down her face freely, how wrong Noriko had been to assume that Rosa Gigantea would ever, even for a second, not believe in love at first sight.

 _Well played, Rosa Chinensis. I wish the same rules applied to Noriko._

5:05 PM

 _I pray you don't lose hope since the universe works in incredible ways, Shimako. Remember, Maria-sama is watching._

5:06 PM

Shimako powered off her phone, placing it inside her purse. She walked back to the restroom, washing her face, applying a thin layer of make-up, then still in front of the mirror, she gathered her hair all to one side and proceeded to braid it.

Out the door she went, wondering where Noriko was at that exact second…

###

Shimako finally stopped staring at that old balcony, and with a bright smile plastered on her face she shook her head; she had finally put the puzzle together, _"The universe works in incredible ways,"_ she repeated under her breath, thanking Maria-sama for giving her friends like Ogasawara Sachiko, then she pushed herself up, crossing the road, entering the building, hitting the stairs, and only halting her steps to knock on the door.

She bowed deeply when the door opened, apologizing for the intrusion, and politely saying, "Whatever you are cooking smells incredible." Then she crossed the living room, kitchen; it didn't take much until she reached the last room of that apartment,

"Gokigenyou," she greeted seriously, waiting for the girl in front of her to look up.

"Gokigenyou," Noriko said to Rosa Gigantea with a smile.

###

On the way to the bar that night, Yumi looked at her ring and smirked, then she looked at Sachiko, who was driving, "You know, when you got on your knee, I was horrified I was going to see your rosary," she chuckled.

"That was a bet I lost a long time ago," replied Sachiko.

"So you finally accept the defeat?"

"Yes," the heiress said firmly, without taking her eyes off the road.

"…Then, can I have it?" Yumi asked with a chuckle, and watched Sachiko move her eyes toward the brunette then roll them, "I have no words for you, Yumi."

"Which means, I can have the losingest rosary..."

"I wouldn't say it's the losingest rosary."

"It's a loser rosary."

"It is most definitely not! Because of that rosary I get to marry you," Sachiko said, and wanted to add, "and because of that rosary, someday Shimako might marry Noriko," but she left that unsaid for the time being.

Instead, the heiress looked at the road ahead of her and grinned.

* * *

A/N: This was the longest story I have ever written – ever. I'm not sure if I am proud of myself of horrified by the fact that humans have read my stuff. I'm not going to lie, some of these chapters were rough to write and since the story was longer than what I am used to writing, I found myself forgetting things and having to read past chapters a million times just to make things flow… I'm hoping this final chapter brings closure to the girls :)

If you stuck around till now, thank you! I appreciate the time you took to read, review, wait forever between updates, respond to my PMs, listen to my ramblings. You're incredible for supporting the community and awesome for liking this fandom, which I think is still so very relevant when the subject is yuri.

Once again, thank you very much!

P.S. I used song titles to name my chapters. I was a bit surprised that nobody really caught me, nor called me out for naming the chapters weirdly. Here's the list of songs/artists. Let me know if you know any one them.

Displaced – Azure Ray

Nobody's Nothing – Owen

Heavy Rope – Lights

Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start – The Ataris

All the Wild Horses – Ray Lamontagne

Your Name Here – Straylight Run

Everyone's got Something – Perrin Lamb

Careful Now – Copeland

Call your Girlfriend – Robyn (Allison Weiss' cover is great!)

And Then There Was You – Norah Jones

Waves – The Dangerous Summer

The Truth Is – Go Radio

Currents – Dashboard Confessional

Shoreline – Andrew James

The Thick and the Thin – Imaginary Future

Build Me Up from Bones – Sarah Jarosz

One Man Drinking Games – Mayday Parade

Kintsukuroi – Hey Rosetta!

Since You've been Around

Love is Beginning – Imaginary Future

What Time do You Call This? – Elbow

Cross That Line – Joshua Radin

Slow Dance – Shannon LaBrie

A Fever – Owen

Meteor Showers – Andy Kong

Hands Down – Dashboard Confessional

Wreckage and Bone – Tired Pony

Kerosene – Bailey Jehl

Your Own Disaster – Taking Back Sunday

An Island - Owen

Cheers!


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